


Redemption

by MidnightAngel30



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-03
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2017-12-04 03:52:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/706237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightAngel30/pseuds/MidnightAngel30
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since being told that The Five would eventually continue Project Typhon, Klaus is now faced with going on one last assignment to end everything, once and for all. With Caroline by his side, will they be successful, or will their mission end in heartache? AU/AH. Sequel to Torment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What Lies Ahead

Everything was pitch black. Not a star or cloud in the sky as the trees moved by in a blur.

Klaus didn't remember getting here. He didn't remember why he was running through the forest. The trees flashed by as he dodged fallen branches, and rocks scattered around. All he could hear was the sound of his heavy breathing.

He kept looking behind him, but he didn't know whom he was running from.

The further he went into the foliage, the faster the rocks and fallen branches were morphing into other things entirely. He wasn't jumping over ordinary shrubs anymore.

They were dead bodies.

Smoke rose from the spots the people appeared on. Where there was a pile of leaves, a body appeared, lying faceless in the dirt. They were still, and cold. Even decaying in some cases.

The silence was shattered with one loud, piercing shriek.

Klaus didn't search for the source of it. He was too busy avoiding the bodies that began dangling from the branches, a noose holding them off the ground. More bodies appeared on the ground, multiplying by the second. So he ran harder. He ran until he thought his legs would give out, and there wouldn't be any more death.

The screaming didn't cease as he kept going. They would scream until their lungs gave out, and then another set of shrieks would fill their place. It was never ending. Klaus didn't understand what was going on. Why was this happening?

Finally, after running as far as he could…Klaus collapsed onto the ground, his palms slamming into the dirt.

When he looked up, he didn't like what he saw.

He was looking out onto the docks, a wooden boardwalk stretching out into a murky river. Fog surrounded him as he stared in horror at the bloody body lying face up. Lifeless, just like the rest of them, and a crimson color painted across his chest.

"No…no, this isn't right!" he growled, closing his eyes forcefully. But when he opened them, the body was still there.

This was impossible! Elijah was alive, right? Klaus had seen him alive! His heart began racing as he crawled hurriedly toward his too still brother, waiting intently for him to move. Twitch. Blink. Anything.

As Klaus reached out to touch Elijah, he vanished. Just like that. Gone.

Something told him his worst fear would be behind him. A gut-wrenching feeling that said the vision of dead bodies wasn't over. His breathing slowed, and he could see his breath from the cold, night air. A strange sensation, since he didn't feel cold. But that could have been because of the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"Klaus?" a voice said meekly, the sound penetrating the still air. He had been right.

Klaus turned around, his eyes wide with fright. There stood Caroline, looking at him through long lashes, while her lips trembled hopelessly. She was pleading to him, and he was weak against her need to be helped.

It didn't do him any favors when he saw the blood trickle down her stomach.

"Caroline?" he croaked. Klaus stood up slowly, but didn't waste time getting to her. She couldn't be hurt. He had just seen her! Hadn't he?

"Help me," she begged him, tears running down her face.

"Tell me how, sweetheart," he said gently. Whatever she wanted him to do, he would.

"I don't know. Just help me!"

Klaus' face contorted into an expression of pain. What was causing his love to bleed? Why was she hurting?

A nasty snarl ripped through his head, and he turned to his right, looking straight into the yellow eyes of a large, gray wolf. It's teeth bared as it growled menacingly at him. The animal was ready to pounce. Klaus turned back to Caroline.

"We have to get out of here. We have to get you away from that."

"You can't," she breathed, all hope gone from her voice. What had changed? Why didn't she want his help anymore?

"Of course we can! But let's go before—"

"No…you can't save me," she cried, tears coming faster now. " _You're_ the monster. And you've already killed me…"

"I-I couldn't have," he said in disbelief. She was staring at him. Caroline was alive. He didn't understand what she was saying.

"You can't save me, Klaus. You can't even save yourself," she said, speaking just above a whisper.

And like the rest of the bodies he had seen, she was gone in an instant, with nothing but a wisp of smoke where she once stood.

"Caroline?!" he yelled. Nothing. Not a sound.

Klaus turned to the wolf that, unfortunately, was still there. Why didn't he have a weapon on him? Of all times not to have one, this was the worst imaginable. He didn't look away from the threatening creature once. If he could kill an army of men, he could kill this animal. Using his bare hands wasn't a new concept.

The wolf began stalking toward Klaus, and suddenly, his confidence began to waver. He wanted to run. He wanted to get as far away from it as he could. What was going on with him? He wasn't like this! Klaus Mikaelson faced danger straight on! An abnormally large wolf shouldn't change that.

But it was. So he went with his instincts, and he ran.

Klaus sprinted in the opposite direction, as fast as his feet would take him. He could hear its paws thumping against the ground, crunching leaves as it gained speed. Klaus was fast, inhumanly fast even, but it wasn't going to be enough. The beast was going to catch him.

In all his panic, Klaus didn't see the branch lying across the forest floor. His feet hooked against it, and he was on the ground before he could stop himself.

He turned around, scurrying backward to try and keep his distance from the monster chasing him. But it wasn't working, just like everything else in this godforsaken forest.

The wolf lunged as soon as it got close enough to Klaus. He braced himself for the imminent pain, facing the animal entirely. He would not be made a coward in his death. However, there was nothing.

The last thing he remembered seeing were the yellow eyes, boring into him as the creature leaped toward its prey. Before the wolf could make contact, everything around him changed drastically. Klaus was no longer staring into a set of intimidating, golden eyes.

He was staring at a pair of much friendlier blue ones.

* * *

Caroline could feel him tossing and turning again.

It had been at least two months since Klaus learned of The Five's intentions. And his nightmares for the last two months hadn't let up. She was getting a little worried about him. Would this last his whole life? Would they end once The Five were taken care of? Or would it worsen?

She watched as he began shaking a little, as if he were cold. Caroline slowly got up to get out of bed. She wasn't sure if she should try and wake him up or not, but the safest bet would be not to. People weren't supposed to wake sleepwalkers. Was it the same for those having nightmares? She needed to do more research on that. After two months, she still wasn't sure how Klaus would react to one thing or another. He had violent tendencies without realizing it. Nothing that had harmed her, but there had been situations that involved getting Elijah's help.

He wasn't having an easy time. His breathing was heavy, and his eyes fluttered back and forth between his closed lids. What was he dreaming about? No matter how many times she asked him, he never told her. It saddened her that he didn't want to divulge what tortured him while he slept.

Caroline sat down on the end of the bed, watching him silently as his brows furrowed. She wondered briefly if she should go get Elijah. He had offered to go sleep in Caroline's apartment so Klaus could have some alone time with her. But maybe she would need an extra hand tonight. It was too early to tell. No need to wake the eldest up if there was nothing to wake him up for.

Now Klaus was making weird mumbling noises. It was really concerning to her. She felt useless just sitting there, doing nothing. All she could do was be there for him. That's all she could _ever_ do.

His breathing quickened, and before she could brace herself, Klaus abruptly sat up, looking her straight in the eyes. Caroline jumped a little, but remained sitting where she was. Klaus appeared dazed, and looked around frantically, trying to get used to his surroundings. This was all the usual routine. Nothing was different yet.

"Caroline," he breathed, as if identifying her. As if asking her if she was real. She nodded.

"It's me."

"Here…come here," he said breathlessly, like he had just run a marathon.

Caroline carefully got up, trying not to make sudden movements. She stood in front of him, and he eased her shirt up enough to expose her stomach. He ran his finger along the faint scar from three months ago. After thoroughly inspecting it, he gently brought her closer, and placed his lips upon the spot. Then he wrapped his arms around her waist, and hugged her tightly.

"I'm okay," she said soothingly, brushing his hair with her fingers. Caroline could feel how damp his forehead was from the sweat.

"Elijah…"

"He's downstairs, fast asleep in my apartment. He's okay too." Klaus nodded hesitantly.

"I want to see him."

"Let's use the fire escape. Some fresh air might help." She didn't want to argue with him over and over about how Elijah was alive. He would need to see this himself to be satisfied. Quite frankly she didn't blame him. Caroline only saw his drawings, but if that was any indication, then his dreams were rather vivid.

Klaus nodded his head against her body, pulling away enough to grab her hand, and stand up on wobbly legs. She adjusted herself so that she could put her arms around his waist, and help him to the window until he was a little more awake.

Once at the window, she went out first, and he followed behind her, never letting go of her hand when they were outside. She pointed to her window, and at the sleeping figure on…oh, come on, Elijah! She had said he could sleep on the bed, not the couch! Why would he never listen?

"See his chest moving up and down?" she pointed out, so Klaus didn't suspect he was just lying there dead. He nodded, and gave a small sigh of relief. He moved back up the stairs, and sat down, running his fingers through his hair.

"I'm going insane," he said quietly, no doubt ashamed he was experiencing all of this in front of Caroline for the umpteenth time. It didn't happen every night, but definitely more so since knowledge of the trip ahead of them came to light. Which was drawing nearer.

"No you're not," she said, taking a seat beside him. "You've just been through a rough time. And that's an understatement."

"I'm tired of feeling like you're babysitting me though."

"Of course I'm not. I'm here because I love you, not because I think I have to be."

"You've never been a good liar, sweetheart."

"It's a good thing I'm telling the truth then," she retorted, resting her shoulder on his head. Klaus wrapped his arms around Caroline, allowing her to lean back on his chest.

"What if it doesn't stop?" he said, concern lacing his words. Caroline shrugged.

"Then we'll take it a day at a time. You know, baby steps. I won't leave you if, that's what you're thinking. If they don't stop, I'll still be here."

"You say that now-"

"And I'll say it when, and _if_ , the time comes. Right now, we should focus on what's ahead. The gala your mother is hosting will be in a week. If we want to get Shane, we have to be ready for anything." She could feel Klaus' chest move as he chuckled.

"Well, would you look at my girl? Getting straight to the ass kicking. Have you thought about the fact that Shane will be at my _mother's_ event? I don't exactly get along with them," he said quietly. Both of them kept their voices down, even though nobody lived around them. People still walked the streets at weird hours.

"But I'll be at your side. Besides, we're taking Damon and Elena. Since Damon is the big Wall Street man, that would surely impress your parents, right? Being friends with someone like him?"

"I'd prefer them to like _me_ , but I suppose it should help with appearances. Not by much though."

"Well, if they don't love you like parents should, then we won't ever visit them again. The only reason we have to go to this is because Shane will be there."

"I'm surprised you want to actually go on this with me. I was hoping you'd want to stay here while I took care of everything. We're not leaving to go to Vegas until after Shane."

"Hey, you said it was either me or Elijah," she said, very matter-of-fact about it.

"Yes, but what I _really_ meant was Elijah," Klaus countered.

"You should have made that clearer before we played rock, paper, scissors for the spot of sidekick."

"You're joking," he deadpanned. Caroline giggled, snuggling into his chest more.

"Obviously," she said quietly. "…We thumb wrestled for it."

Klaus broke into a fit of laughter, and nuzzled his head into her hair, placing gentle kisses on her head. "Very funny. How about you worry about getting your sleep? We have more rigorous training tomorrow."

"No," she whined, jutting her lower lip out.

"Yes. No complaints. If you're going to be with me, you're going to know how to protect yourself."

"I know…I know," she said, realizing yet again how dangerous what they were about to attempt was going to be. But Klaus was right. She needed to do better at protecting herself. Elijah had taken her to a shooting range a few times to work on her aim. Caroline did better at that than she did with self-defense, but she wasn't bad. She got better each day.

For the remainder of the night, Klaus and Caroline sat outside in silence. By the time the sun rose, they were fast asleep, and dreaming of better things than criminals and awful parents, and whatever the hell plagued Klaus' mind. For now, they could be at peace.

* * *

"I'm not going to talk to them, Kol. Leave it alone," Elijah said firmly. Honestly, how was this man apart of _his_ family now? He had always been with Abigail, and far away from Elijah. As bad as he felt for Abigail's passing, he wished she had left something else to Mikael besides Kol.

"And why not," he continued to pester. "They're just sitting over there! Waiting for us to make a move. Why else would they come here for the past two months?"

"God forbid they might want to enjoy each others company," Elijah said sarcastically, shaking his head at Kol's logic. The man obviously didn't know anything about women. Elijah wasn't that much better, after being gone for so long, but he did know more than Kol it seemed.

Kol's eyes widened. "Do you think they're lesbians?" he asked hopefully. The boy couldn't be serious, could he?

"No, Kol. I do not." Elijah wished Klaus and Caroline would hurry up with their training. Elena was working, and Damon was off at some supposed "meeting." Elijah sincerely thought it was a ploy to get away from his rather irritating help.

"Oh well. You should still go talk to them."

"Perhaps I don't want to."

"Don't even try that shit on me," Kol smirked, leaning back on the couch they sat in. "Your eyes never leave that brunette when she comes strutting in."

"That is none of your concern," Elijah said calmly, sipping his tea. Did he have to be so observant? Or was it nosy, possibly? Saying he was observant would give him too much credit.

"But it is! If you get in with Katherine, then I have a better chance with her roommate. I know you've been out of the dating game for a while, but stick with me, and we'll be getting women like there's no tomorrow!"

"Do you ever think before you talk? Or do words just sort of spill out?" Elijah asked, looking at Kol in complete bewilderment. The younger man just shrugged.

"The latter. So will you go talk to them?"

"The answer is still no," Elijah said quietly.

"What about just Katherine then? Leave Bonnie to me," Kol said mischievously. Elijah suddenly wanted to talk to her as well, just to save the poor girl from Kol's attention.

"You haven't left me a lot to work with," he told Kol. The girls probably thought they were fucking lunatics.

"I'm sure you'll charm the pants right off of her anyway," Kol said confidently. Elijah rolled his eyes. It shouldn't have surprised him that such an annoying Mikaelson came from Mikael's side.

While he contemplated whether or not he should honestly try and speak with Katherine, the girl in question stood up. She was heading toward the counter to get another coffee. Maybe he could give it a go. He felt a certain pull to her. Elijah didn't know why, but she intrigued him, and all she had done was push Kol away without hesitation.

Maybe that was why he liked her.

"I'll be back," Elijah informed the other boy. Kol looked as if his cheeks would begin hurting from the smile on his face.

Very slowly, so he didn't look too eager, Elijah walked over to where Katherine stood. She was tapping her nails on the counter, impatiently waiting for her drink. Elena smiled at him when he leaned against the counter top.

"Hey, Elijah," she greeted him, putting cream in Katherine's coffee.

"Hello, Elena. Could you um, possibly put that on my bill?"

He could see Katherine's gaze shoot up.

"Are you sure?" Elena asked.

"Absolutely. It's on me," he said, looking to Katherine now. She didn't look happy.

"I can pay for my own drinks. Thanks," she said dryly.

"I was only trying to be polite."

"Well you can take your manners elsewhere. I don't need them," she sneered, looking him up and down before scoffing. "Such pristine clothes. Got a big business meeting later? Thought you'd hit on the first girl you saw in your down time?"

Elijah was taken aback by her brashness. He wore a suit because he was tired of wearing t-shirts and cargo pants. Two months later, and he still had every intention of enjoying the things he had missed while being imprisoned.

"No. No big business meeting later," he told her calmly. She didn't need to know why he dressed a certain way. That would be the most he divulged. He had given her the courtesy of not judging. Would she not give him the same?

"Sure," she scoffed in disbelief, taking her coffee. Katherine swayed her hips back to her friend, those impossibly high heels clicking as she did. Guess she wasn't going to be giving him the time of day.

"I'm sure she'll come around," Elena assured him. He gave her a small smile, and shook his head.

"I doubt that, but don't worry. I'm a patient man," he winked, getting up and going to sit next to Kol.

"What happened? What did she say?" What are my chances?" Kol asked eagerly. He obviously didn't waste any time. If Elijah couldn't crack the mystery that was Katherine, there was no way this boy would crack someone who happened to be her roommate. Surely they had similar viewpoints on life, men, etc. Elijah gave a small chuckle, going back to sipping his tea.

"You don't have a chance in hell," he told him with confidence. Neither of them had a chance in hell.

* * *

Caroline blocked another one of Klaus' hits. A Left hook, a right hook, and an uppercut. She avoided them all. His leg came up to kick her in the chest, but she grabbed his foot, and pushed him back. He remained on his feet, considering her strength wasn't that fabulous, but she was deflecting his hits. That's what mattered.

It had taken Caroline forever to get him to advance on her like this, but once he had, and realized that it needed to happen for her to truly learn, Klaus didn't hold back. He came at her full force, not wanting anything to surprise her when they left.

"Hit me, Caroline," Klaus demanded, his punches never ceasing. Her ponytail swung as she did a one eighty, going for a kick in the stomach, but Klaus blocked her. He held her foot, forcing Caroline to hop on the other to keep her balance.

"Make contact," he instructed.

"I'm trying!" Could he really not see that?

"Not hard enough!" he said with frustration. "Now make contact."

Klaus let go of her foot, and brought his around to kick her side. She moved in time to miss, and swept her leg out in front of her to trip him. She at least made contact with his calf, but it wasn't enough to make him fall. However, he did the same thing, and made her fall. Only he followed her to the ground, trying to pin her arms to the ground.

Luckily, she was getting faster, and moved to flip him over when he was reaching for her arms, so she was on top of him.

"Hit me," he demanded.

"Are you insane?! I pinned you already. Isn't that enough?" This was only practice. She shouldn't have to bruise him. If she even could. When, and if, the time came for her to knock someone's lights out, she'd know how. And she'd follow through with it.

"No. It's not. Bridge of the nose is sensitive. Hit me there. I want to see what damage you can do."

"Klaus!" Caroline wasn't going to hit him if she didn't have to! This was ridiculous!

"You have to be able to hit me."

"We've gone over this for weeks! I _can't_ hit you!" Why was he getting so worked up over this? Her training had been going really well. Did this have something to do with his dream last night?

"Then you'd better learn _how_ ," he said through gritted teeth. "I want you with me, but you can't be if you won't defend yourself."

"We've proved that I _can_ defend myself though!"

"I mean against _me_!" he said, his voice rising a little to try and get the point home. She got it all right. It was just something she had never considered.

"What?" She didn't like thinking about this.

"You need to be able to defend yourself…against me. This isn't just training for The Five. It's to help protect you against me as well."

"Klaus…I couldn't…I don't think I could—"

"You need to try," he said, more gently now. He brought his hand up to caress her cheek. "Where's my weak spot, love?"

"For you specifically, left shoulder, from where you injured it when you were younger. Nobody knows about it. For all the others, and for you too, use the usual spots. Eyes, groin, ribs, etc.," she recited perfectly.

"That's my girl," he smiled.

"Klaus, you've trained me. _You_. I'll be able to kick ass if the time comes. I learned from the best."

"Just watch out for yourself. Don't get cocky, and remember that there are no rules. You stay alive, understand?"

"Only if you do the same," she reminded him. Klaus always made sure to tell her at the end of their lessons about what could happen, and what she should remember to do. But what about what _he_ would do?

"I'll live," he said with finality. "I have a reward waiting for us."

"I've already told you—"

"I know. But you deserve better. You deserve a house, with a front yard you can watch your grandchildren play in."

"Klaus…" she smiled, leaning down and kissing him sweetly on the lips, "It won't mean anything unless you're there too. So don't play the hero, okay? Just do what you have to. And come back to me. You promised."

He stared at her in wonderment, as if after all this time, he still didn't believe she would stick around. No matter how many times she said this to him, she didn't think he would ever believe her. It was just going to take more time. Or she'd have to propose to him. Caroline thought that might be enough proof. But how would one propose to a man? Was there a man ring available for engagements?

"I won't break that promise to you," he said quietly, sounding more like a reassurance for his own sanity. "I won't."

"Good. Now let's go before our friends start wondering where we are," she smiled, kissing him one last time on the lips before getting off him. Klaus stood up, and took her hand in his. He then walked out of the classroom with her in tow. Together, they went outside, and headed for the coffee shop. Hopefully the group wasn't tearing each others throats out. Well…at least not Kol's hopefully.

When she walked through the front doors, she had been proven wrong.

"Excuse you! We were busy!" Rebekah shouted, storming over to Kol.

"I didn't know you'd be doing the nasty in a fucking broom closet!" he yelled back, his lips quivering to keep from smiling or laughing.

Caroline walked further in with Klaus, watching everything that was going on. Half the customers had disappeared. Or maybe they had just known not to go to the cafe in the first place. The leftover patrons were very obviously focusing on their conversations, or work. It made Caroline giggle.

"Would you all quiet down? I have a business to run here," Elena reprimanded the two bickering step-siblings.

"I don't care!" Rebekah shouted, her temper continuing to rise from what Kol had done. "He embarrassed me!"

"I think you're doing that just fine without my help," Kol said smugly. Rebekah's eyes widened, and it took all Matt had to hold her back.

"You grimy little worm!"

"It's okay, Becca. He's just baiting you. Ignore him."

Kol kept that arrogant grin on his face, and sauntered to the door. "I hate to leave this party, but I have a little baseball practice to attend. I'll see you all later. Especially you, love of my life," he said dreamily to Bonnie. The girl rolled her eyes and went back to talking with Katherine.

"He's going to get it one day," Rebekah said under her breath, combing her fingers through her ruffled hair.

Caroline hadn't seen her this worked up before. Normally she was such a sweet girl, at least to Caroline. Then again, she had given Caroline a subtle warning about not hurting Klaus' feelings. So there was that. Klaus had also told Caroline about Rebekah's ass kicking to her ex. Caroline wished she could have seen that.

"Have you heard from Tyler?" Elena asked, a lot calmer now that Kol was gone.

"He said his mother was doing well, but he thinks his place is there for now. I told him we all missed him and said hi," Caroline told her.

She could see Klaus' face tighten up for a second, before he let it slide, and walked over to Elijah. He still hadn't accepted the idea of Tyler coming back to New York. She understood why, but that didn't make her heart hurt any less. Elijah had said very clearly that he was okay with Tyler being around. Of course, if he ever tried to kill him again, Elijah wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet between his eyes.

None of Elijah's words convinced Klaus, however. He wanted to snap Tyler's neck.

Because of this, Caroline wasn't upset Tyler was still out of town. It wasn't time for him to come back yet. Besides, his mother still needed him. Caroline didn't know when Mrs. Lockwood's time would be up.

Caroline absentmindedly twirled the compass that was around her neck.

"Tell him to take his time whenever you two talk again," Elena said gently, patting Care on the shoulder affectionately. The blonde nodded, and walked over to where the Mikaelson brothers sat, both looking at a spot of tea that had appeared on Elijah's tie.

"No, no, no. This was my favorite tie," Elijah said, shaking his head at the tiny stain.

"I'll wash it, Elijah," Caroline giggled, immediately going to untie the knot. Elijah pursed his lips.

"I'm not a child. I can undo it myself."

"Just let me fuss over you," she smiled, whipping the tie off, and folding it neatly for when she took it upstairs.

"There is no arguing with her, brother. When she sets her mind to something, she won't stop until she gets it," Klaus informed the eldest, a teasing half-grin spreading over his lips.

"Or someone," Rebekah said quietly, giving Caroline an appreciative smirk. Caroline gave her a knowing wink, understanding exactly what she was talking about. It wasn't her fault that Klaus had intrigued her interests so much.

"Hey, I have to go somewhere after I take this upstairs. Would you like to come with me, Klaus?" Caroline asked quietly. His eyebrows rose, knowing what she was talking about. He always knew.

"You really want me to go?"

"Yea…I do." It was a little unexpected, but thinking about Tyler's mom made her realize that with this assignment coming up, there might not be many more chances to go on a small field trip. Klaus nodded, getting up and throwing the group a small smile.

"Where are you going?" Elijah asked them.

"Caroline is taking me to finally meet one of her friends."

"You have friends besides us?" Elena giggled. Caroline laughed too, because she hadn't told Elena about where she had been visiting for the past two months. Ever since knowledge of The Five came to be, she needed someone to vent to. Staring out her window didn't always fill that need either. Klaus was the only one who knew she made the visits.

"Not many. You guys are my family, and always will be," Caroline smiled

"I was only kidding, Care. Go take care of your business. We'll be here when you get back."

Caroline smiled, offered her hand to Klaus, and walked upstairs to her apartment with him. It was time for Klaus to meet her best friend.

* * *

Klaus and Caroline trekked up the hillside, heading for the tombstone under the willow tree. It had been a decent drive, but she knew it by heart now. And it always flew by. She smiled, waving toward the one she was there to visit.

"This is Stefan. My best friend."

"Ugly looking bloke," Klaus teased quietly. She giggled, pushing him slightly before kneeling down in front of the gravestone.

"Be serious."

"Okay, okay," he said, kneeling down next to her, and clearing his throat. "Stefan, my name is Klaus. I'm sorry I never got the chance to meet you. Caroline tells me nothing but great stories about you. I think we would have gotten along had we met."

"You guys would have been great together," Caroline said softly, running her fingers over the letters in Stefan's name.

"If I can get along with his brother, than I think I would have gotten along with him."

"The Salvatore brothers. A duo that should never have been broken up," she laughed. Klaus watched her stare at the tombstone, and smiled.

"I'll go wait in the car, sweetheart. Take all the time you need. I'm glad I was finally able to meet your best friend."

"I'm sure he's glad too," she said, her voice cracking a little. Klaus kissed her gently on the forehead, and then got up to walk back to his car. She smiled, and sat cross-legged on the soft grass.

"Hey Stefan…I'd say it's me again, but I'm aware you already know that. I know you see everything, you little brat," she chuckled. Caroline hadn't forgotten about what he told her, as weird as that sounded. That time spent with him had not once left her memories, or faded in the least.

"I forgot how long it's been since I came here…maybe a week? Time's going way too fast these days. I came here to say, for the millionth time, that I don't want to Klaus to go on this trip. I think that if I go with him, it will help, but I'm afraid something will happen. I'm afraid that he won't come back to me," she whispered. A gust of wind hit her face, and it only made her cry more. Now she was over analyzing.

"I don't know what to do. I'm about to meet his parents, _and_ try to kill a member of an elite crime organization. All in one place. How's that for unique circumstances? Where are you to join us when I need you to? You would win his parents over with your outstanding works of writing. I'm sure Klaus' father will love the businessman in Damon though. I will never understand Wall Street," she shook her head, still smiling. Stefan wouldn't have gone to a big party probably. He would have only gone if she twisted his arm about it.

"All I want is for Klaus and I to go live together in our apartment, and for us to be happy. You told me to stay alive. I _want_ to stay alive. And now we're both about to risk everything. I'm so scared, Stefan. I'm so, so scared." She let a couple tears slip out, but quickly wiped them away.

"The only thing I can do is be there for him I guess. Make sure he doesn't kill himself. I can't talk him out of going, so I have to go too. It's not like he can't take of himself, but I still worry he'll over estimate his abilities. I guess I just can't let that happen, can I?" she smiled. It wasn't like Caroline Forbes to give up on someone so easily. The only person she had thought of giving up on was herself, but Stefan, and everyone else in her life, made her realize how foolish that had been. She would never give up.

"If…and that's a big _if_ …Klaus joins you, would you make sure he gets a good slap for dying on me? Please? And then after…would you make sure he isn't lonely? If I can't be with him, then someone needs to be. Someone needs to be his friend," she smiled. Caroline didn't enjoy thinking about that, but she would be an idiot to ignore it completely. Anything could happen.

"I love you, Stefan. I always will. See you when this is all over, okay? Not in the literal sense but...you know what I mean. We can talk during the trip, but I'll be back to visit your grave personally when this is finished. And I'll be damn sure to bring Klaus with me… but remember what I said, in case the universe is working against me. I need to know he'll be safe no matter where he is. I can only keep him safe on earth. You have to takeover up there though. You'd have to be his friend. For me."

Caroline nodded, and stood up, wiping away any remnants of tears shed. With a final, deep breath, she patted his tombstone, and started off toward the car. The wind blew against her body, and she felt calmed. Like he had heard her, and would fulfill her wishes should that awful moment ever come. But it wouldn't. She'd make sure it never happened.

As Caroline was walking away, she didn't realize that someone had truly tried to comfort her.

She didn't see the angel leaning against the tree, smiling at her backside while she strolled toward the man waiting for her.

She didn't hear how the angel promised to always protect her, and the people that she loved.

He couldn't tell her how he would always love her too, and how he would respect her wishes, should the time ever come. He couldn't tell Caroline how much faith he had in her to keep both Klaus, and herself, alive.

Because Caroline was strong, and nobody but Klaus knew that as much as Stefan did.


	2. Have Faith

"I told you to go do it yourself!" Caroline said to the ever-annoying Mikaelson. Kol just continued to stare at her, causing her to feel very uncomfortable. This had been going on for at least fifteen minutes.

"But they'd like you so much more. Please?" he begged. She wasn't having it though.

"No. Now go before I find Rebekah!" Caroline threatened.

"Leaving," Kol said obediently, shuffling off to the door, and exiting the café.

"I thought he'd never go," Elena said, walking casually over to where Caroline sat. The girls giggled, and Caroline shook her head.

"I don't know how Damon handles him. That is a puzzle I will never solve."

"There is no puzzle to solve," Elena informed, laying her feet across Caroline's lap. "He _doesn't_ handle him. Why do you think he's gone so much?"

"Secret affair with a sexy co-worker?" she guessed. Elena raised a disapproving eyebrow.

"I don't think so," she said with certainty. "No one would tolerate him like I do."

"That's what all girlfriends say. Then _bam_. They find their beau on top of a slutty red head, with no qualms about kinky behavior."

"Real funny, Care," Elena deadpanned.

"I thought it was kind of funny," a girl said from behind them.

Caroline and Elena turned around to see Bonnie standing there, her legs crossed while she played with her fingers. Why did she seem so nervous? Oh! Poor thing probably thought she was interrupting their conversation, when all she wanted was a cup of coffee. Elena seemed to be having the same thoughts as well.

"I'm so sorry," the brunette apologized, standing up so she could go ring in Bonnie's order. "What would you like?"

"Oh no! I didn't want to order anything. I just…thought I'd come say hi. Is that weird?" she asked. It was strange, since Caroline always saw her as a woman almost as tough as Katherine. Why was she being so timid now? Was this a trick? A bet between the two girls perhaps?

"No! No of course not. But don't you normally hang out with that friend of yours?" Caroline asked sincerely. She didn't want to use names. It might be considered creepy that she knew who they were, without any prior introduction. Bonnie shrugged.

"Yea, Katherine. But she had a date. Left early so she could get ready. You guys always seem really friendly, and I thought I would just try talking to you. I don't know many people around here."

"Oh? New to New York, or this part of the city?" Elena asked, wearing a perfectly genuine smile as she sat on the sofa's side.

"This part of the city. I got a job as a veterinarian, and Katherine is my secretary and roommate. So we moved here."

"Okay, forgive me for bringing up the elephant in the room," Caroline interjected, "but you normally seem kind of…"

"Intense?" Bonnie cringed a little. Caroline nodded.

"Yea. That."

"Katherine and I normally keep our guard up when we go out. Not because of you or anything. More because of men like your friend. Kol, right?"

"That's Kol for you," Caroline sighed. "He's pretty harmless though, if that helps any. Just annoying."

"Not all guys are like that. We can never be too careful. Katherine has a bad past, so we always watch ourselves," Bonnie shrugged. "The way she acts isn't a front. She really is distant, and she really will kick your ass if necessary. So don't try and talk to her unless she comes to you first. That's why her dates never last."

"But you're not like that?" Elena asked, curious. Bonnie shook her head.

"I try not to be. I'm sorry if I've come off like that. It wasn't my intention to run you off. Just Kol."

"Well," Caroline began, sticking her hand out, "I'm Caroline, and this is Elena. We'll be taking the position of new friends now." Bonnie smiled, and grabbed her hand.

"I'm Bonnie. It's a pleasure to meet you two. But don't you normally hang out in a bigger crowd? I'm pretty sure all the business comes from your friends," she laughed.

"There are normally a lot more, but you'll be introduced to them soon enough. My boyfriend and his brother are across the street, teaching self-defense classes. And Elena's boyfriend is currently at work. Or hiding from Kol…one of the two. Rebekah and her boyfriend, Matt, are probably off at his bookstore, or having sex. And then Kol just ran off because he was annoying me," Caroline explained. Bonnie looked at her with wide eyes, nodding slowly as she took it all in.

"Oh," she said simply. "You guys are all tightly knit, aren't you?"

"Kind of," Elena chuckled. "We're a family, and there's nothing we wouldn't do for each other. I know it might be kind of intimidating at first, but trust me, you'll fit right in." Bonnie smiled; comforted slightly it seemed by Elena's reassurance. Caroline didn't blame the girl for being wary. She would be frightened walking into a group like theirs too.

"Thank you guys…really. It means a lot to me. I…I haven't been a part of a family in a really long time. Katherine has kind of been my only friend for a few years, and it's been great, but I know she needs a break every now and then. _I_ …need a break every now and then," Bonnie confessed.

"It's okay! We're glad to meet new people. We should all have a girls night sometime," Caroline suggested, but then had to backtrack a little. "I'm going with my boyfriend on a trip soon, but when we get back, definitely a girls night for all four of us. The extra being Rebekah. I think you'll like her. She's tough, but secretly a softie. Just like you," she beamed.

"That sounds great. And where are you going with your boyfriend?"

"Don't know really," Caroline lied. "Traveling around the states, maybe even going to Europe! So I'm not sure how long we'll be gone, but I'm not backing out of my promise to you. We will have our night to initiate you into the group properly. No Kol allowed."

"What about a Damon?" he asked as he entered the little café, reading from a journal. Caroline rolled her eyes, and Elena just smiled.

"Sorry," the brunette told him, "But it's all girls. No men or children permitted."

"I have binoculars," he sang, plopping down beside Caroline. The blonde looked down at what he was reading.

"How many times have you looked over that?" she asked quietly.

"More times than I can count. I still can't believe everything was under the floorboard. _Everything_ ," he breathed in disbelief.

"It's been months, Damon. I'm sure Stefan wouldn't want you pouring over those all the time," she advised softly. He nodded reluctantly, closing the book.

"I know. I just…it helps."

"We know," Elena comforted him.

"I should probably go you guys," Bonnie said quietly, but Caroline waved her hands.

"No, it's okay. Bonnie, this is Damon, Elena's boyfriend. Damon, this is our new friend Bonnie."

Damon looked a little confused for a second, but nodded and waved to her. Bonnie waved back, giving him a small smile as she sat back in her chair. Caroline shared a smile with Elena.

This was good for their little group. It was about time they got a new face.

* * *

"Are you sure that you still want to go through with this, Niklaus?" Elijah asked as the rest of the self-defense class made their way out of the studio. Klaus nodded, sure of his plan.

"I hate lying to her, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. She wants to help."

"Do you really think I would be able to stop her?" Elijah argued. Klaus smiled.

"She wouldn't make a scene at our parents' party. She wants to make a good impression. Who better to persuade her than you?" It was something he admired about Caroline, how she wanted to make him look like a victorious man in front of his parents, even if it was getting in the way of his plans. But nothing she could say or do would make that happen.

" _You_? Niklaus, she loves you. If you asked, I'm sure she would agree to stay with me. All you have to do is tell her I'm going. Don't surprise her like this."

"She would never agree, and you know that, brother. Caroline would insist on helping so that I don't get myself killed."

"It won't come as a surprise to her that I'm there. It is our _family_ throwing the ball. Surely she would think of any possible way you could stop her."

"I've pretended to go along with it thus far. If I had it my way, she wouldn't go at all. Ever since we got the papers though, she has been determined. And you know how Caroline is when she has her mind set on something."

"I'm very aware of what she's like," Elijah chuckled. Klaus remembered both of them describing their time together in Thailand. Of course he would know how she got.

"Do you think this will end well? What happens when we go to Vegas? Europe? What will I do? She has to be around for the nightmares. You have to be around to protect her. But I don't want _either_ of you around The Five. I can't win in this, Elijah."

"Caroline is strong, Niklaus. She will be able to take care of herself if the time comes, and you will be able to kill them without her getting hurt. I think it might be good for the both of you if she goes along on your missions. Start her out on something simple if you must. But from my experience with her, I have no worries."

"I can't make her stay away if she doesn't want to though."

"And that is why you are training her."

"No! I'm training her to fight _me_ , not _them_."

"Do you truly think yourself a worse enemy than The Five?"

"Yes," Klaus answered with certainty. The Five were dangerous; there was no question about that. But Klaus was being sent to kill them for a reason. It was because he could, when no one else was capable.

"Do you believe Caroline is able to defend herself against _them_ yet?" he continued. Klaus nodded.

"I have faith in _her_. She's getting better with her fighting, and she is undoubtedly resourceful. However, it's _them_ I have concerns about. I can't predict what they'll do!"

"Just as you can't predict what you'll do should you snap?"

"Yes…yes, exactly," Klaus sighed, sitting down on the floor, and leaning his head back. Elijah joined him, gazing over Klaus with worry.

"Caroline will witness what is necessary to kill a member tomorrow night. I will be there, should assistance be required. But Niklaus, if you do not think she can handle The Five, then why are you still with her, if you are such a worse enemy?"

"I'm in love with her, Elijah. I'm in too deep. Do you know how badly I wanted to break up with her the night she was in the hospital? How badly I wanted to set her free? But I was selfish, and I couldn't. All because she whispered sweet words to me, and told me it would all be okay. Do you understand how comforting that is to hear? And now that my nightmares have worsened, I can't let her go. I have you back, but now I can't lose her either." Damn all the fucked up situations he got himself into.

"Then truly put your faith in her, Niklaus. You say you have, but I'm not so sure. She has already proven to come back to you once. Know that she will do it again."

"I don't want to take that risk, Elijah. This is idiotic, and a surefire way to fail."

"I guess we'll find out when the ball comes, now won't we?"

"Why are you taking her side? You know how important she is to me."

"And I know how important you are to her. And to me," Elijah said gently, patting Klaus' shoulder affectionately. Klaus let out a sigh of defeat. Between the two of them, there was no way he would win this battle. Caroline would go, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

When, exactly, had he become such a pushover? When did he start taking orders from his stubborn girl?

"You had better keep her safe, brother."

"I would never let anything happen to her," Elijah assured. Klaus nodded, and stood up soon after. They were done in the studio. He had a girl to see about.

"Let's go before I finally realize we're all insane."

* * *

Later that night, Caroline sauntered around her apartment while Klaus sat on the couch, watching her dance around the place like she was as free as a bird. She felt like it. Tomorrow would be the day she proved to Klaus that she could keep him safe. Not just mentally, but physically.

It would be her time to shine. And this time, she wouldn't end up in the hospital.

"I know you don't want me to go. That's obvious. But I promise I'll do everything you ask of me," Caroline reassured. Klaus' eyebrows rose in disbelief.

"Then don't go."

"Except that," she added quickly.

"I'm getting antsy, Caroline. I don't like this."

"I have to meet your parents at some point or another."

"How about another?" Klaus suggested. Caroline shook her head.

"I'd rather go when they're having a ball, and I can show them just how classy I am. You want them to be proud of me, don't you?"

"I really don't give a rat's ass what they think," he shrugged. "And they have balls all the time."

"Well, I do," she frowned. "It's important to me that they don't win. They can't think you've lost at life, when they're the ones missing out on knowing such a great man. A great _son_."

"My first, and only concern, is that you stay alive. I don't care what they think of me. I don't care if they never talk to me again. I. Don't. Care," Klaus said slowly, enunciating each word.

"I don't either," Caroline agreed, "But I want to show them that you made it. That you came out alive."

"We don't know that for sure yet," Klaus reminded her.

Caroline sighed. This was going nowhere. Besides, she would be fooling herself if this were really about his parents. All Caroline really wanted to do was show Klaus that she could take care of herself. That she could defend herself from any threat, be it The Five or his nightmares. She could protect herself, even with Damon and Elena being there to help with the parental issues. Nobody would take her life, or her friends' lives.

"How about tonight," she started, straddling Klaus' lap, "We forget about The Five. We forget about everything we have to do tomorrow, and we enjoy our time together."

"We need to stay focused, Caroline. This isn't a joke. We can't take this lightly."

"That's not what I'm suggesting. I want to ease your mind, not distract it."

"It's all the same, sweetheart," Klaus said, running his hands up her thighs. "The Five are dangerous…more dangerous than Walker could ever be. I would never be able to satisfy you while I think of every possible way they could take you from me."

"Nobody is taking me away from you!" she exclaimed, tired of repeating herself. Why was he so upset now? A week ago he was okay with her going.

" _They_ will!" Klaus retorted, gently pushing her off his lap so that he could stand.

"Why are you fighting me on this?" she asked.

"Why are _you_? After all we've been through, do you not trust me when I say that this is life threatening, and you shouldn't be attending this event with me? Why must you insist on doing this to me?" he asked desperately. Caroline shook her head. He wouldn't sway her decision. She wouldn't let him.

"And do you not trust me, when I say that I can take care of myself, and I'll make it out alive? I'm doing this to show you that you don't have to be overprotective with me!"

"That's ridiculous!" he shouted, their argument becoming more heated now. "The fact remains that you should be staying here, out of harms way. That has nothing to do with being overprotective, and everything to do with common sense! Fucking hell, Damon and Elena shouldn't even be going. I agreed to let them go to make you happy, but I can see now that was a stupid fucking decision, because the only way you'll ever be happy is if you're in the line of fire and risking your life over _nothing_!"

"Keeping you alive isn't nothing!" she said, standing up so she could be right in front of him.

"I can take care of myself!"

"And I can't?"

"No! _You can't_!" he yelled at her, causing Caroline's eyes to widen. He mirrored her expression as soon as he realized what had come out of his mouth.

"So my training hasn't gotten any better?" she asked quietly, still fuming from his lack of faith in her. "It was a lie?"

"It wasn't a lie," he said quietly, running his fingers through his hair. "I just don't think you're ready for The Five. Not yet."

"Yea…well we'll see about that. I'll show you that I _have_ improved. I've improved enough to take on The Five."

"Caroline…"

"No. Don't start that with me. In fact, I think you should leave…" she said, trailing off when a thought hit her. Caroline sighed. "No. Don't leave. But I think you should sleep on the couch tonight. I, however, am off to bed. Goodnight, and I'll see you tomorrow. Leave without me and I'll come anyway."

Caroline smiled, and strolled over to her bed, sure she had won this argument. But she hadn't. And the sad part was that she knew it. Caroline understood where Klaus was coming from, and she wanted to make him happy. She knew why he was upset, and understandably so. But he couldn't worry about her twenty-four seven, and she had to prove that to him. She had to prove that not even The Five frightened her.

Not as much as losing Klaus did.


	3. A Change of Heart

The day had arrived for everyone to go to the big Mikaelson ball. The day had arrived for Klaus to make his first move on The Five.

Caroline couldn't contain the butterflies in her stomach.

She sat on her bed, twirling her gloved fingers. The thought of how Klaus was even going to do this worried her. How was he going to make this discreet? Eventually, someone would notice Shane was dead. Would Klaus make it look like an accident? Would he not care how he went about the job? Surely there was a way to get Shane alone. How though?

There were so many variables to consider, and none of them had answers yet. And worse, she was beginning to doubt herself. What if Klaus was right? What if she should just stay home, and let him take care of business just this once? She would be with him the rest of the time. Missing out this once wouldn't hurt.

But what if this was the one time he needed her? What about his parents? Sure, she could meet them some other time, but she wanted to be able to impress them in their territory. And their territory was lavish parties, and the life of the rich. If for some reason she couldn't do that while Klaus was still…well…she wasn't going to think of that. It was too dark a thought to even consider in this time.

Caroline heard a knock at her door, bringing her out of her reverie. She walked over to the door, and saw through the peephole that it was Elena, all dressed and prepared to go. Damon must have been downstairs, waiting for them to come down.

"Hey," Caroline greeted as she opened the door. "You look beautiful."

"So do you," Elena smiled, giving Caroline a tight hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Scared," the blonde admitted. "And any other word that is similar."

"We're all going to be fine. No one will suspect anything with Damon and I going. It looks like just another group outing," Elena told her.

"Right. Sure," Caroline muttered.

"I'm serious. Now take a deep breath, the men are waiting for us."

"How is Klaus?" Caroline asked, letting Elena drag her out of the apartment.

"Quiet. We can't get a word out of him."

"Terrific," she sighed, thinking for the millionth time that she should just listen to Klaus to make him happy. Of course he had a small point, but he had to know that he couldn't worry about her constantly. He had to trust that she would be okay.

"He'll come around. Not if you start freaking out though," Elena said, trying to calm her. It wasn't working.

"But what if this guy kills everyone? We don't know what he's like!"

"Then we can scope that out when we get there. Just focus on talking to Klaus' parents. That should be enough to occupy your thoughts."

"Oh, because that helps so much!" Caroline hissed, carefully walking down the stairs so she wouldn't trip in her heels.

"We're going to go in circles if we don't stop, Caroline," Elena sighed. "Just stop worrying about it."

"Not likely," she said, rolling her eyes.

The two finally reached the bottom of the stairs, looking around for their dates. Klaus and Damon sat awkwardly together on one of the couches, looking anywhere but at each other. Caroline smiled at how he still was around others. He might have been getting better at socializing, but he would always be reluctant to engage in any conversation that wasn't with his family or Caroline.

When they saw the girls in their dresses, both Damon and Klaus stood up quickly, their eyes raking over their date. Damon gave that smug grin of his as he walked toward Elena, moving to wrap his arm around her shoulders.

Klaus, on the other hand, kept staring at Caroline from where he stood. She could feel her cheeks heat up from his unwavering gaze. Why did he always have to look at her like that whenever she got dressed up? It made her so self-conscious.

She walked slowly over to him, and twirled once, showing off her blue dress. Since their fight the night before, they hadn't said much to each other that day, but Caroline could see his anger was fading away, if not already nonexistent. However, it couldn't last. They would be walking on eggshells the whole night. An argument was bound to arise. It was only a matter of when.

"You look stunning," Klaus told her softly, giving her the tiniest of smiles.

"And you clean up nicely," she returned; taking the time to appreciate the tux he wore.

"I believe you're the one who told me what to wear," he smiled, winking to her before offering an arm.

She took it gratefully, glancing back to see Elena and Damon talking in their own little world. They didn't have to worry as much as she did tonight. And that was something Caroline envied. Why couldn't she just worry about impressing Klaus' parents? Why did all of this have to go on as well?

Outside, a limo waited for them, something Caroline wasn't expecting. So he was going all out tonight.

"We could have just taken your car, Klaus. You didn't have to do this," she told him quietly.

"If it were up to me, we would have," he informed her, a hint of disgust in his tone. "This was made possible because of Mikael and Esther. Couldn't have their son arrive in anything that isn't the best."

Caroline patted his arm gently, letting him lead her toward the lavish car. For some reason, this night felt more like a sentencing than anything else. The closer they got to the ball, the more she wanted to run in the opposite direction, and never go against Klaus' word again. But that wasn't right either. This had to be done for both of them to have any peace of mind.

But none of that kept her stomach from twisting into painful knots. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

The Mikaelson Manor was massive, and anyone who thought it wasn't worthy of the title "extravagant" had obviously not seen the place in person.

Caroline sat silently as they drove up to the estate, peering out her window to watch all the bustling that went on. It might have been a couple hours since the party officially started, but people were still coming in by the masses. Men and women dressed in fancy clothing entered the finely lit home, talking amongst themselves. She couldn't help trying to spot Shane, but there was no sign of him. Caroline was sure she had memorized the picture in his file after only a couple of days.

Klaus hadn't said anything for the entire car ride over, and Caroline was beginning to worry about him more so than she already had been. What was he thinking about? Was there anything she could do to ease his troubled mind? Well…that was probably a stupid question. If she had wanted to do that, she should have stayed home.

The limo pulled up to the front of the mansion, and a man standing outside in uniform opened their door for them. Damon and Elena went first, closely followed by Klaus and Caroline. Her arm looped through Klaus', and she noticed his grip felt much firmer than before. He was getting nervous too.

When they entered the house, Caroline was assaulted by elegant decorations, the murmur of chattering, and soft, classical music playing in the background. Waiters walked around with flutes of champagne on trays, and the large foyer was packed with people as everyone entered around the same time.

What she hadn't been expecting was Rebekah and Matt talking to Klaus' parents in the corner. And from the tightening sensation on her arm, she could guess that Klaus hadn't either.

"What are they doing here?" She whispered in his ears, staring at the couple in horror.

"I have no fucking idea," he said through gritted teeth. Caroline wondered if they had even known to stay away from the gala.

"What do we do now?" Caroline asked, ready to do whatever he asked.

"We're going to make an appearance with my parents first, like nothing is wrong. Then I'm going to go off and do what I came here to do."

"You mean _we_?"

"I mean _me_ ," he corrected, staring at her seriously.

"What? You're going to leave me alone with your parents while I'm worried about your well-being?" She hissed angrily, low enough so only he would hear. "We're supposed to do this together."

"I wanted you to stay home," he corrected her again. "And you won't be alone with them."

"Klaus, what are you—"

"You look exquisite, Caroline," a cordial voice complimented from her other side.

There stood Elijah, looking just as handsome as Klaus in his tux. It all clicked when she saw him standing there, waiting expectantly.

"You both are complete assholes," she fumed quietly, still trying to contain her anger so everyone didn't see. How was she supposed to do anything now?

"I simply took extra precaution to keep you safe tonight," Klaus told her simply. "But apparently, I have more than just you to worry about."

"Rebekah and Matt will be no problem. If anything, they add to the image of normalcy," Elijah assured him, extending his arm for Caroline to take.

She sighed in defeat, looping her arm through Elijah's. Wonderful. She was going to be babysat the entire night, while Klaus went and risked his life. Caroline could only hope that Shane wasn't going to be as tough as the others. There was no way for her to protest this atrocity without causing a commotion, and she didn't want to do that.

The three of them walked together to Esther and Mikael, smiling as convincingly as they could. Well, Elijah and Caroline at least. Klaus' face remained stoic as they approached the two people in the world he tried to push aside the most. Damon and Elena had already greeted the group, and were talking animatedly. Rebekah and Matt smiled at their arrival, Rebekah doing so a bit nervously. Caroline could see that she _did_ know being here would upset Klaus. But Caroline couldn't blame her for going despite that.

"Elijah, my dear," Esther greeted, moving to give him a quick hug. She turned to Klaus, and gave him a polite smile. "Niklaus."

"Mother," Klaus said curtly, nodding once in acknowledgment.

"And who is this young lady?" Esther questioned, gesturing to Caroline.

"This is Caroline, mother. The one I was telling you about?" Elijah answered.

"Oh, right. Niklaus' girlfriend, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you," Caroline greeted, bowing her head slightly as though Esther was a royal family member.

"The feeling is mutual," she told Caroline courteously. Esther then touched Mikael's shoulder affectionately, looking back at Caroline after. "This is my husband, Mikael. We're both happy to welcome you into our home."

Caroline was surprised at how polite Esther was being to her. Maybe she had misjudged how his mother would react to Klaus having a girlfriend? Or maybe their relationship wasn't good enough for her to warrant such a reaction. Mikael, on the other hand, gave her a look that suggested more of the disgust she had been expecting.

"I'm surprised Niklaus could manage to find a date," he scoffed, taking a sip from his champagne.

"Always good to see you, Mikael," Klaus said sarcastically, cocking his head a bit in irritation.

"I can't say the same, boy," the older man spat, choosing to turn to Damon as if nothing had just happened. "Shall we adjourn to the ballroom?"

Damon and Elena looked sympathetically at Klaus, before reluctantly following Mikael away. Caroline was fuming though. How dare he walk away before she had the chance to give him a piece of her mind? Then again, it probably wasn't the best time to do so. But…if Klaus was going to make her stay with Elijah, what else did she have to do? Caroline was conflicted.

"I told you this was a bad idea," he whispered to Caroline when Esther wasn't paying attention. "I should have just came here by myself, and took care of business."

"The night isn't over yet," Caroline reminded him quietly.

"But it will be shortly," he informed her, letting go of Caroline's arm. "I'm going to go find Shane. Stay with Elijah, I mean it. The sooner we get this over with, the better."

Placing a quick kiss to her lips, Klaus began moving through the crowd before she had a chance to fight him more on the matter. That was it?! That was his goodbye before running off to kill a member of The Five?! No. That was not acceptable!

Caroline was about to storm off after him, when Elijah stood in her way. She tried to move around him, but he continued to get in her way. Eventually, she stopped to give him her most menacing glare.

"Move," she demanded.

"No," he replied kindly. "I can't let you go do something you'll regret."

"I won't regret it," she argued, trying once more to get around him. Elijah stopped her by putting his arm out to grab her hand. He quickly started walking in the opposite direction, away from Esther, and away from where Klaus had gone.

"Then I can't let you do something Klaus will regret."

"What if he needs us? You should know better than anyone that it's ridiculous for you to babysit me!"

"Perhaps. But I know you mean too much to him for us to risk you getting harmed," he told her calmly. "As for myself, I would also hate to see you get hurt."

"You know I can handle myself," she tried to reason with him.

"And I know how dangerous The Five are. While I would be more lenient than Klaus, I must follow his wishes. You are not my girlfriend."

"But I am your friend." Caroline looked at him, pleading silently for him to let her go help. "Please…let me go."

Elijah sighed heavily, gazing sadly at her. "I'm sorry, Caroline. I can't do that."

"It isn't right to keep me tied up like some possession of his," she hissed quietly. "I am a person, not a toy."

"You are a very valuable person, so _please_ …drop this," he begged her.

Caroline listened for now, not knowing what else to do. This was obviously going nowhere. She watched as Elijah grabbed two champagne glasses from a waiter walking by, and offered her one of them. Taking the glass, she downed about half of the flute in one gulp. So now what? Was she supposed to stand around tapping her feet while Klaus went gallivanting off?

"How long will this take Klaus?" She asked Elijah curiously.

"You have seen his handiwork. Once he locates Shane, and assesses the surroundings, it can be taken care of rather quickly and quietly."

"Hmm. I still don't like this," she huffed, looking around the large room without realizing she was actually trying to spot Shane.

"Clearly," he chuckled, taking a sip of champagne.

Caroline tried to not get lost in her thoughts, thinking about every way someone could get the upper hand on Klaus without him knowing. Thankfully, and at the same time unfortunately, her distraction came in the form of Damon, Elena, and Mikael walking to where she stood with Elijah. They were all laughing in delight.

"Elijah, my boy," Mikael said cheerfully, throwing an arm around his shoulders. "You should hear the story Damon just told me about what happened at his work the other day."

"I'm sure it's enthralling," Elijah deadpanned.

"I'd love to hear it," Caroline smiled, trying to engage in conversation with Mikael.

As Damon continued smiling, and was about to tell her the story, Mikael waved his hand dismissively. "I don't think you would understand, dear."

Caroline raised her eyebrow at him, her lips twitching from the hateful words she wanted to throw at him. Had he really just said that?

Damon wasn't smiling anymore, and the other three were silent from the shock of Mikael's words. Caroline stood a little straighter as she faced Mikael, her face showing the rage contained within her. What an imbecile of a man.

"Maybe, maybe not. But that's not your decision to make. I can see now why Klaus never bothers to come here. There really is no good in your heart."

"I would watch what you say, girl," Mikael warned, pointing a finger at her. "This is my house, and I _will_ have you thrown out."

"Mikael," Elijah said calmly, "there is no need for this. Caroline is our friend, and a very intelligent woman."

"I see you've been hanging around Niklaus for too long," Mikael muttered, throwing back the rest of his glass.

"And he's a better man for it," Caroline retorted. "We wouldn't want him to be like you, now would we?"

"You listen to me you little har—"

"I think it best you go back to mother," Elijah interjected before Mikael could get any farther in his rant. "We don't want to cause a scene."

"After tonight, I never want to see you in my house again," Mikael threatened. "Is that clear?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Caroline sneered. She would never make the mistake of trying to impress Klaus' parents again. He was right. There was a reason he had stayed away for so long. Mikael walked quickly away, almost shoving people aside to get to his wife.

"I am so sorry, Caroline," Elena comforted her.

"Don't be. This is my own fault. I should have listened to Klaus. We shouldn't be here," Caroline said, finally realizing her mistake. This was all idiotic. She would have saved everyone the trouble if she had stopped being stubborn for just a second, and stayed home.

"We should be out of here very soon," Elijah assured her. "I cannot say what will happen in Vegas, but as for tonight, all we can do is wait it out."

"Did Klaus recruit you for our Vegas trip too?" Caroline asked, afraid that she was never going to be free of Elijah's watchful eye until all five members were dead.

"No. I won't have to, will I?" He asked her pointedly.

"No…" she said quietly, shaking her head. "You won't. I'm staying in the hotel room when we go. I won't make the same mistake twice."

She was still worried about Klaus, but if this was the outcome of her plans, then it was best to go along with Klaus'. Anything to ease his mind was honestly for the best, so why not just go with what he wanted?

Of course, the universe was going to make sure she truly learned her lesson before letting her off the hook so easily. Caroline was about to take another sip of champagne when the most unexpected event of the night happened. Shots began ringing out through the whole mansion, and it wasn't indicating that Shane was dead.

The whole place was under fire.

Chaos ensued immediately after the first shot, and people began screaming to get out as fast as they could. Caroline didn't understand what was going on. Was this Shane's retaliation for finding out that Klaus wanted to kill him?

"Get down," Elijah commanded, forcing Caroline to the ground. Damon and Elena followed closely behind. Elijah began leading them toward the bar as fast as they could move while remaining crouched. Gunshots continued to be fired rapidly. Caroline saw men fall to the ground, blood pouring from a wound.

The four of them hid behind the bar, and Elijah began rummaging through the cabinets as soon as they stopped. When he was done searching, he pulled out two pistols. He gave one to Damon, and kept the other for himself.

"Just a little extra protection," he mused, readying the gun.

"I don't know how to work a gun!" Damon hissed.

Elijah sighed, and gave him a quick rundown of how to reload, hold, and aim the gun. When that lesson was finished, Elijah peeked over the counter top. Caroline shared a concerned look with Elena; not understanding what in the hell was going on. More importantly, not knowing where Klaus was in all of this.

"Over here, Rebekah!" Elijah called, waving over his sister.

Not long after, Caroline saw Rebekah and Matt rushing behind the bar to crouch down along side Caroline and the rest.

"Where are mother and Mikael?" Elijah asked.

"Mikael made a dash for the exit after the first shot. He dragged mother with him," Rebekah spat, rolling her eyes, and leaning against the cabinets.

"That's two less people to worry about at least," Elijah mumbled, keeping a watch out for anything unexpected. "We need to get out of here. The door leading to the gardens would be best, as everyone here is by the front of the house, rather than the back. I need everyone to stay close."

"What about Klaus?" Caroline asked with worry.

"Niklaus is a grown man. He can take care of himself. Someone needs to take care of this group first though. So follow me." Elijah was firm, but understanding as he looked at Caroline. He knew how she felt all too well, she could see that in his eyes.

The eldest Mikaelson began to cautiously lead the way, always keeping an eye out for men with guns while the shooting continued. Screaming could still be heard as people tried to make an exit as quickly as they could. But there were so many people; it all ended up being a crowded mess. The six of them were able to sneak off toward the back of the house with relative ease, since the entire guest list was trying to squeeze through the front doors. It was amazing how much people didn't think of more sensible options in a time of panic.

On their trip to the garden doors, Elijah only had to shoot two men, killing each on the first shot. Caroline still didn't know how many there were. However, the amount of shots being fired was beginning to die down. She wondered how much of that had to do with Klaus.

"Quickly," Elijah began once they were all outside. "Go around to the front of the house, and hide until I come find you. Everyone will be panicking to leave. You won't be able to get out of here without all the hassle."

"Where do we hide?" Elena asked.

"Rebekah will show you. Damon, watch over them," Elijah instructed.

"I will," Damon assured him, waving for the rest to follow him. "Come on, let's go."

"Elijah," Caroline started, ready to argue about how she should stay with Elijah. He surprised her by taking her hand, and moving slowly toward a hiding spot closer to the house.

"This goes against everything I have said tonight, but come with me. Klaus may need you as much as he needs me, whether he knows it or not."

Caroline nodded sadly, following Elijah to a spot behind the garden fountain. It was large, and nobody would see them from where they were knelt. Her heart raced as they waited rather impatiently for some sign of Klaus. It was hard to say if he would even come through the back doors, but it seemed likely he would exit in the opposite direction of the crowd.

So many thoughts were running through her mind while they waited. For so long she had thought she would be able to help Klaus with this, but what if she was completely wrong? What if all this violence that she was so ready to help him with, was just something she wasn't ready for? What if she was in over her head? Caroline had been so sure about meeting his parents and helping him before. But now, she wasn't sure of anything.

"I'm never arguing with Klaus over this again," she muttered, loud enough for Elijah to hear.

"Now don't say that," he chuckled lightly. "He isn't always right."

"He was about this. I just…I don't know what to think. This is all more overwhelming than I thought it would be."

"It's okay to feel that way. This is not a lifestyle you should have to feel accustomed to."

"How am I supposed to help Klaus though if I can't handle it?"

"You don't have to kill people to help him. He still needs you."

"So then was all my training for nothing?"

"Absolutely not," he told her, furrowing his brows. "Training is training, and no matter what the circumstances, it will help you stay alive longer. You're learning how to defend yourself, and no one can take that empowerment away from you."

Caroline nodded before going back to surveying the grounds. Leave it to Elijah to ease her mind a little.

It was a couple more minutes before Caroline noticed something out of the ordinary. Though the commotion had calmed a lot, people were still exiting the venue. One in particular caught her interest, as he checked the backyard before trying to make a quick exit.

"Elijah," Caroline hissed, shaking him lightly. "That's Shane! He's going to get away!"

Elijah readied his gun as much as he could, considering it was nothing more than a pistol. The shot wasn't going to be easy, but Caroline already saw him lining his target up. She covered her ears and ducked behind the fountain completely, waiting until it was over.

She heard a shot ring out, but it wasn't from the man next to her.

Caroline uncovered her ears, and looked up at Elijah. His face remained emotionless, as he continued pointing the gun at someone, now standing up instead of crouching. She peered over the water's edge to see Klaus standing feet away from where Shane now laid face down on the grass. There was a little blood on his shirt from god only knows who. He stared distantly at the dead body, his own handgun still raised.

"Niklaus," Elijah said firmly, still holding the pistol as he aimed for Klaus. "Drop your weapon. It's over."

She watched as Klaus nodded slowly, dropping the gun from his gloved hands, and walking over to where Elijah and Caroline were. However, Caroline wasn't able to wait any longer. She practically ran from her spot to go and wrap her arms around him. He slowly registered that it was Caroline attached to him, and did the same in return.

"What happened?" Elijah asked, putting the pistol away behind his shirt.

"Shane had a hit list of people he wanted to kill," Klaus said quietly, reaching to grab for a little black book with one hand. "He was planning to make a scene this whole time."

"Why do you have blood on your shirt?" Caroline asked, already inspecting him for wounds.

"It's not mine," he said absentmindedly, still watching Elijah.

"Mikael's name is in here," Elijah noted with intrigue. "Along with a lot of other tycoons."

"I noticed," Klaus answered.

"So you're saying—"

"That tonight was an example," Klaus finished for him, placing a couple kisses here and there on Caroline's head while his gaze never left Elijah's.

"Well…let's hope the others don't have plans to follow through with their targets until they have this hit man they desire."

"That's wishful thinking," Klaus scoffed.

"I don't understand," Caroline muttered, looking between the both of them. "An example of what?"

"Of what the result of Project Typhon would be doing," Klaus answered. "Instead of doing the kills themselves, the assassin they created would have done the work tonight."

"Let's take this one step at a time," Elijah reminded them. "No one is getting a personal assassin anytime soon."

"Just the military," Klaus mumbled.

"You are nobody's personal hit man. Not even theirs. The Five need to be taken care of in some way or another, and this is unfortunately the only way how. Now," Elijah began, taking a deep breath, "what are we doing about clean up?"

"The police will be here soon," Klaus told him. "But Hughes will cover up what needs to be covered up. It will all be kept under the radar. We just need to get out of here."

"Then let's not waste anymore time," Elijah said, motioning for them to start walking. "Let's round up Rebekah and the rest so we can be done with this place."

* * *

It was later that night when Caroline was packing her bags to leave for Vegas the next morning. It had been a few hours since they had left the mansion, and Klaus had yet to say anything to her. He simply sat on the couch, and waited for her to finish packing. There was only so much silence she could take though.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She asked softly, continuing to pack while she listened for a reply.

Klaus chuckled, leaning his head back on her sofa. "Is it wrong to wish Shane's men had gone through with all of their kills?"

"You mean is it wrong to wish they had killed Mikael?" She asked knowingly.

He nodded, turning to face her now. "Is it?"

"I think it's understandable. Mikael is a bastard, and therefore no one can blame you for not wanting to put up with him."

"But that doesn't make it right."

Caroline bit her lower lip, and put her suitcases on the floor so they were no longer sitting on her bed. She then made her way over to the couch, so that she could take a seat beside Klaus.

"I don't think there is a definite answer," she told him quietly, considering her own conflicted feelings from that night, and all the different emotions she had felt. "I mean…I wanted to help you _kill_ people so that I could prove I was strong enough to you. We're in a messed up situation, Klaus. What's right or wrong to us isn't going to be the same for those who haven't been in the same circumstances as we have, and know what we've been through."

"But that doesn't make killing him right, just because he's an asshole," Klaus retorted. "It's not like he's a member of The Five."

"Does that make killing The Five right?."

"It doesn't feel wrong," he chuckled. "But I think I understand what you're trying to say. Our morals are a bit askew compared to others."

"You're not a bad person, Klaus," she reminded him. "You're doing the best you can."

"Everything feels so fucked up right now," he told her quietly.

"Well…that's because it is," she agreed, causing him to chuckle. At least she had gotten a smile out of him. Caroline moved closer to him so that she could curl up against his chest. "And I'm not going to try and help in Vegas."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I'll stay in the hotel room. After tonight, I think it would be easier on you if I didn't try to get involved."

"Do you really mean that?" Klaus asked hopefully.

"I do. I want you to be able to focus without having to worry about what I do."

"Thank you," he breathed, kissing the top of her head. "That means more to me than you know."

"I'm sorry for fighting with you yesterday. I should have known better. I let my stubbornness cloud my judgment."

"And I apologize if I made you feel like you weren't strong enough. I know you are, I just…I—"

"I know, Klaus," she assured him, nestling into him more. "I know."

The rest of the night, they sat like that on the couch, trying to forget earlier events. Caroline wanted to rejoice, because Klaus had taken down the first of The Five. Hughes would take care of the incident at the gala, and it would all look like an unfortunate occurrence by a deluded man. Klaus or Elijah wouldn't be pinned down for what happened. Everyone was safe, and they should be happy that nothing worse had happened. But she knew there was still a long journey ahead, and it was still far from over.

One might be dead, but there were still four more to go.


	4. Vegas

"Promise to call me when you land?" Elena asked, checking over Caroline like a mother hen.

"I promise!" Caroline giggled, bringing Elena in for their tenth hug in the past half hour. It wasn't like they would never see each…nope, she wouldn't think about that.

"Don't waste all your money," Damon added, aloof as ever. He sat on one of the shop's couches, letting Caroline and her friends have their goodbyes.

"No promises," Caroline grinned. She was already excited to hit the slots. Maybe play a little Blackjack. She never had learned how to play poker. That might be something worth trying while she was stuck in the hotel room.

"I can't believe the hotel you're staying at. It's a castle," Bonnie remarked, looking at the brochure Caroline had printed out. She would be sure to thank Hughes later for the lavish budget. It was the least he could do for outsourcing instead of taking care of these criminals himself.

"You should see the pool. Hours of luxurious bathing all to myself."

"You don't have to brag," said Elena, rolling her eyes as she finally backed away to give Caroline some breathing room.

"Of course I do." It was distracting her from the trip she was about to take. A quick plane ride to Vegas right before being chauffeured to the hotel. Oh, and then her boyfriend would go on his killing mission. Boasting was all she had.

At that moment, Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah came downstairs. Klaus' luggage—one, large suitcase—looked tiny in comparison to Caroline's three. They were going to be gone for an indefinite amount of time. After Vegas, it was straight to Paris, then Rome and St. Petersburg. A girl had to prepare for anything. How he managed to pack all his essentials into one case baffled her.

"Are you ready, love?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Caroline smiled, walking over to Rebekah first to give her a goodbye hug. "Don't be too hard on Matt while we're away."

"I wouldn't dream of it," she grinned, seeming to know more than she was letting on. Her face turned somber. "Be safe."

Caroline nodded, and then moved to Elijah. "I'm going to miss you."

"Everything will be fine," he murmured into her ear, giving a tight squeeze before letting go. "I'm but a phone call away should you need me."

She nodded, looking at him fondly. Klaus had insisted he stay behind, even after the ball incident, and Caroline knew Elijah was antsy because of it. There was nothing he wanted more than to go on this with them.

"If you both stall any longer, you'll be hitchhiking to Vegas," Damon chimed in, a tight grin spread across his features.

"I'm going to miss you, too," Caroline added.

"We should be going," Klaus agreed. "We don't want to miss our flight."

Caroline hugged Elena and Bonnie one more time, reluctantly leaving their side after a couple minutes to join Klaus outside. They were in the car in no time, and Caroline was waving goodbye to Elena and Bonnie as they watched her transportation pull out into the street. It wasn't long before they were out of sight completely.

The impact of their trip was starting to weigh on her. The sadness to those goodbyes wasn't something she wanted to think about though. When would she see them again? And under what circumstance would that meeting be? All she had now was herself and Klaus. True, Elijah had said she could call, but he couldn't be there immediately. If she needed any help, all she could do was wait.

"So, are you excited?" Caroline asked, trying to brighten the mood. Upon more thinking, she regretted those words instantly. What was she _thinking_? He wouldn't be sitting by the pool with her. Of course he wasn't looking forward to this.

His expression said as much. "The sooner we leave, the better."

"Right," she sighed, turning to stare out her window.

They would be back soon enough. There wasn't a need to memorize every skyscraper and hotdog vendor. Caroline and Klaus would be back to see their friends, and collect this reward Klaus was after. This wasn't over yet.

It took them a little bit of a drive to finally get to the airport, and then a little more time to jog across the terminal to make it on time. The bonus was that they had been given first class seats. No squished ride for Caroline. As soon as her luggage was put away, she was reclining her chair and flipping through the in-flight menu. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see an amused Klaus watching her.

"I've never flown first class," she admitted. Her yoga wage wasn't enough to really afford the finer things in life.

"I'm honored to be your first," he grinned.

"Have you done this before?" Klaus always seemed like such an expert, even if it was his first time doing something. Riding first class, playing Jenga…whatever it was, he learned fast.

"Once or twice." He waved the stewardess over when she was nearby, ordering two glasses of champagne for the both of them.

Caroline leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes for a few moments. This was probably as calm as it would be for a while. As normal as it would be. For just one flight, she could pretend she was going on vacation with her boyfriend. There would be more flights, yeah, but this was the first, untainted one they took. He might have killed Shane only the night before, but it already felt like another lifetime ago. It was too surreal to have happened just last night.

"Have you decided what you'll be doing for our stay?" Klaus asked, an attempt at conversation.

"How long will we be staying?"

"No longer than a week. I need to gather more intel on our friend Connor before paying him a visit. I need to know what he's like in his element, where he goes, who he sees. Shane was easy, but the rest will require more time."

"Why isn't Hughes doing this? If he has the evidence of their crimes and knows it's them, why not let the military take care of them? Why hire you?"

"I am a much faster solution than anyone who would hold jurisdiction over their case. Not everything is neat and tidy, sweetheart."

"That's comforting," she muttered. Good to know their armed forces were trigger happy for the greater good. "They mean well, I guess."

The road to hell was paved with good intentions though. Did the means justify the end? Caroline wanted to say no, because all she knew was Klaus' side. She didn't see Shane, and she didn't know what the others were like. Maybe this was a viable fix to end The Five. To save lives.

"You're safe. That is all you need to focus on."

She nodded, trusting his words. They didn't know what Klaus looked like. Not yet, anyway. As word would likely spread, he would garner attention from them, but for now, he was safe, too. They were both safe.

About four hours later, Caroline jolted awake. So much for enjoying the first class services. Guess that's what happened when they woke in the wee hours of the morning to catch an early flight. She looked to her left, noticing Klaus was fast asleep while leaning on her shoulder. To her right, she saw they were in the process of descending. The view she was able to see was remarkable. It wasn't nighttime, but the majesty of the city wasn't lost on her. Buildings upon buildings lined up side-by-side, grassy patches here and there. Her heart began to beat faster, excitement rising up in her chest.

"Klaus," she whispered, trying to jostle him awake. She hated to wake him since she didn't know when he would get as much rest again, but hey, they had to get off. "Klaus, we're landing soon."

He stirred, moving slowly about. It took him a couple minutes to get oriented, but soon, he was up entirely and they were preparing to leave. Caroline was anxious to get out and finally see some of the city, and more importantly, their hotel room. That was going to be her Shangri la for the next week, and she wanted to get acquainted with it as soon as possible.

There was yet another driver at the airport to take them to the hotel. Caroline was enjoying all this pampering she kept—oh. Pampering. She would have to schedule a spa day during this visit sometime.

It seemed like no time at all before they arrived at the hotel's front door. Klaus and Caroline gathered up their luggage and went for the front desk, the receptionist looking appreciatively at Klaus. Caroline narrowed her eyes, but managed to bite her tongue while they got their keys. The last thing she needed was some girl staring Klaus up and down during their stay.

They had received one of the nicest suites in the place, of course. Caroline could barely contain her child-like excitement as they reached the top floor. Hughes had to have sprung for the presidential suite because holy hell did the hallway alone look out of this world.

"Shall you do the honors?" Klaus asked, gesturing toward the door at the end of the hall.

Caroline beamed, practically running toward it. She slid the card in, and wow, was she not expecting to see the inside.

Dark wooden floors everywhere, with high, white ceilings met her sight. Lots of earthy tones that made a girl feel welcomed. Windows that went from the floor to the ceiling and gave a perfect view of the strip made her mouth open in awe. Some of the nicest furniture she had ever laid eyes on decorated the room like a homestyle magazine. The bar with granite counter tops was simply the icing on the cake.

"This is beautiful," she gasped, twirling around the small foyer. "It's like a royal apartment."

"Don't get too attached. We have to leave when everything is finished."

"Way to spoil the fun," she groaned. Caroline would still be living here for a fair amount of time. Might as well enjoy what she could.

"I need to make a few calls, run over some footage. Perhaps you can get acquainted with the place and show me around when I finish?"

"We could get acquainted together," she teased, running a finger languidly over his chest.

He stared at her with loving eyes, a small grin appearing. "I can't, no matter how much I want to."

With a kiss on the forehead for a goodbye, Klaus took his bag and went in search of the bedroom. Caroline was left out in the living area, contemplating a drink at the bar. Maybe she could order room service to keep her occupied. A night of food and movies could be fun.

She plopped down on one of the comfy barstools, looking around at the different glasses and liquors. Where was a good place to start her slow dissent into insanity?

* * *

The next morning brought a headache of epic proportions. Too much wine and a chocolate overdose would do that to a person. When she rolled over, completely expecting to wake to a sleeping curly-haired boy, she noticed the other side was empty. Klaus must have left early to set his sights on Connor. Which meant Caroline was left to her own devices for a day. She quickly decided to break in the hotel pool. Anything that would distract was a warm welcome.

In no time—despite her throbbing head—Caroline was dressed and ready for sunshine. She fluffed her hair into a cute ponytail, and dressed in a red bikini she had owned since she first moved to New York. If Klaus could see her, he'd drool.

The pool was, much like everything there, extravagant and better than any dream. Bars were everywhere and there were magnificent stones and small waterfalls. Caroline was overwhelmed by how utterly relaxing it looked. There were few free lounge chairs, but she managed to find one on the end, a girl lying out beside it. Caroline snatched it up before someone swooped in to steal her prime spot.

A cool breeze blew across her face, the sun beating down on her. She began thinking of what it would be like if Elena were there. Her friend would have loved to see the sun after being in New York for so long. There were no skyscrapers to block out the rays. It was just Caroline and a cloudless sky.

"Damn. You are really pale," said an unfamiliar and feminine voice.

Caroline scrunched her eyebrows together, staring at the young girl beside her with confusion. "Thanks?"

"Glad I have my sunglasses," she deadpanned, showing a hint of a smile.

"Excuse you," Caroline spat. She had _not_ come here to have her pasty skin mocked.

"Easy, tiger. Just making conversation."

"Well, you're terrible at it." Caroline frowned.

"Never said I was good," the girl replied. "I'm Mirabel. The friends I managed to find call me Mira."

"Caroline," she returned, warming up to her a little more. "Are you here on vacation?"

"Yup. Thought I'd visit some friends while I had time off. It helps when they offer to pay."

"I know what you mean," Caroline chuckled, arranging her towel properly before lying down on her back.

"You have friends in high places?"

"Acquaintances." Right, she needed a cover story for being there. This was something she should have probably thought up sooner.

"Awfully nice acquaintances you've got."

Caroline laughed. "I'll be writing thank you cards for the next two years."

Mira laughed along with Caroline, turning to face her more. "Have you ever been to Vegas before?"

"It's my first time."

"You're kidding," Mira grinned. "Tonight, I'll have to take you to have the best dinner you've ever had. Tomorrow, we hit the casino full force."

"Oh, I don't know. See, I'm kind of here with my boyfriend."

"You have a boyfriend who left you alone, in Vegas, wearing _that_ bikini? He doesn't sound like the sharpest tool in the shed."

"He's meeting some friends."

Mira pursed her lips, her eyes declaring that she was far from amused. "Likely story. Look, we're definitely going now. You can go kicking and screaming if you want, but I'm assuming you planned on staying in your hotel room for the whole time you were here, right?"

"You know what assuming does," Caroline retorted a little too quickly.

"So I'm right," Mira stated nonchalantly. "Which means we're going. You don't need his permission."

"I never said that I needed to ask," Caroline defended. Seriously, did this girl know boundaries?

"But you were thinking it."

Caroline frowned. It might have looked more like a pout to some, but it was definitely a frown. "Where are your friends at?" She asked, switching subjects as fast as possible.

"Casinos probably. They love their gambling. I once had to drag my friend out of there, drunk, while he was singing _I Believe I Can Fly_. The stares we got were between hysterical and embarrassing."

Caroline's eyes bulged out of her head. She couldn't imagine Klaus singing when he was drunk, much less gambling. Elena wouldn't risk being videotaped. Maybe Damon though. He would get drunk and burst into song. "Was that the only time?"

"Yeah. He didn't do much drinking after that. I can always count on his brother though. He downs his liquor every night like it's the last night on Earth."

"It will be if he drinks that much," Caroline muttered. "Shouldn't he be in AA or something?"

"This is Sin City. What happens here—"

"Stays here, I know."

"And our vices follow us to the grave."

Caroline paused. "What's your vice?"

Mira stood up, allowing Caroline to realize how absolutely tan and gorgeous she was. "Another story for another time. How about we go for a dip? We can continue our planning there. Work out spa appointments and all that shit."

Caroline felt like this girl moved at ninety miles per hour, but she kind of liked it. There wasn't much of a dull moment around Mira. She accepted the invite to join the other girl in the pool, smiling as she stepped in.

They spent the next two hours shooting the breeze before it was time to grab lunch. They ate at some restaurant Caroline would have never even heard of had she not left New York. Crystal chandeliers, utensils she didn't know how to use; the whole bit. After lunch it was a whole day of shopping for casino outfits, accessories, and a few souvenirs for Caroline to take back to her friends. Snowglobes included.

It was different, talking to someone other than Elena and the rest. Sometimes Caroline forgot how big the world really was despite living in New York. She could stand on the busiest street corner, watching people go by all day, and never meet someone who would be willing to sit down and have a conversation. Mira was a breath of fresh air.

It was after ten by the time Caroline was dragging her shopping bags back to the hotel room. Klaus was sitting on the cream colored couch, papers scattered across the coffee table as he scanned over them. He looked up upon hearing the door open, his brows furrowed together.

"Where have you been?"

"Out," she grinned, setting the bags down. "Had to keep myself busy somehow. I didn't figure Connor's goons would be at the pool, restaurant, or mall I've been to."

"So long as you're safe," he mumbled, returning to his papers. "I talked to a man today about Connor's whereabouts. He often frequents the casino to check on his guests. I can be ready by the day after tomorrow. I'll strike in private. You'll have to be ready to leave soon after."

"Oh, right," she nodded, understanding why their trip would be cut short. They had to take what opportunities they could when it came to Connor. "I can be ready."

"Good. I have to go out tomorrow and scope the place for the best ways to do this. Will you be to go at it alone again?"

"I'm just here to keep you company. I've got a spa treatment tomorrow anyway. I doubt you would want to go."

"Not entirely, no," he agreed, collecting all his papers and closing the files around him. "I'm turning in for the night."

"Already? I mean I know this is business, but I thought maybe we could…you know…enjoy a present I got for us." She grinned, trying not to sneak a peek at her Victoria's Secret bag.

"Not tonight, love," he told her gently, getting up to move toward her. He placed a kiss on her forehead before retiring to their bedroom, not speaking another word.

Caroline was left dumbfounded for a couple minutes. She knew he had stuff on his mind, but really? Why did he have to be so damn distant? She wanted to spend time with him while she could, not wait until he was on a hospital bed. Taking her bags, she proceeded to the bedroom along with him. The bathroom door was cracked and she could see him brushing his teeth, wearing nothing more than boxers. A tiny smile crept up on her. That was her man in there, and all she wanted to do was hug him and tell him how much she loved him. That was it.

Instead, she quickly changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed. The quicker Klaus eliminated Connor, the better. They could go home sooner. They could work on getting back to a daily routine without an imminent threat looming over their heads. She wanted to sit out on the fire escape with him and talk about a future, not a horrible past. She wanted him completely. Not share him with a military that wanted to use him.

It was a long time before Caroline finally felt the bed shift from the oncoming weight. It felt longer still until a finger glanced across her back, a gentle caress in the dark. He lingered for a bit, only to pull away with nothing more than a ghost of a feeling running up her spine. The rest of the night was spent in silence. Horrid, heartbreaking silence that made her chest constrict at the thought of where she could be. His arms.

* * *

The morning brought another lonely wake-up. Maybe someday she would be able to have a mimosa with Klaus out on the veranda. Or balcony. Whatever they had at the time.

Caroline was surprised to hear her cell phone ring so early in the afternoon. A part of her hoped it was Klaus, but she felt like she should have expected it to be Mira when she saw her screen. Right. Spa appointment at noon. They had to get ready for their big night out. She didn't know exactly where Klaus would be scoping his kill sight, but hopefully she could stay out of his way. The casino was massive so the likelihood of it happening was slim, but Caroline knew how her luck ran.

The big girl trip went as great as Caroline had hoped. They talked about the places Mira would be able to get them into. Who knew so many VIP places existed?

Once Caroline's face was exfoliated, her body massaged, and her toenails painted, she went with Mira back to her room to prepare for the first outing. Possibly the only outing they would have depending on Klaus' schedule.

"Which dress are you wearing?" Caroline asked, looking at Mira's rather expansive closet.

"The peach colored halter dress that fits my ass like a glove," she stated bluntly, holding said dress against her and twirling. Caroline was still in the middle of laughing when she spoke again. "What did you decide on?"

She bit her lip, looking at the two choices she had laid out on the couch. A fitted purple dress and a fitted red dress. Both had excellent twirl factor, looking fun and flirty when she spun around. She should probably go with the red one. It was snug from her shoulders to her waist, and outlined her figure perfectly for such a night out.

"This one," Caroline said, pointing to the red one.

"That's a good dress. Let me do your hair and face. I'll make you glow so bright people won't know what their dice says."

Caroline smiled, nodding. She hadn't done something like this in so long. Gone out, enjoyed being young and somewhat carefree. Usually, carefree wasn't an option. It hadn't been for a long time. But now she could look fun in the face and say she was ready to join in. Even if Klaus was busy, she could do this for herself. She could laugh, and just for a moment, she could pretend that her life wasn't a crazy mess of assassinations and empty beds.

It took a couple hours to get Caroline's curls just right, and her eyeliner to where she didn't look like Elvira, but eventually, she could have sworn she was a different person. She didn't know how to thank Mira properly except to try and do her own hair and face justice. Not that she needed it. The woman had the face of a goddess.

"Must be tough," Caroline sighed.

"What?"

"Looking like this everyday," she giggled.

Mira chuckled. "I hope that's a compliment."

"It is."

After all of thirty minutes, Caroline had finished, put her tools away, and prepared herself to strut out with Mira.

"You know you don't look bad either," Mira complimented. "We're going to knock them off their feet."

"Who, the dealers?" Caroline chortled.

"No, I mean my friends. We're meeting a group of them in the casino. They're cool though, don't worry."

"Thanks for warning me!" Caroline groaned, not prepared for this kind of meeting.

"Relax, princess. It'll be fine."

Together, they walked out, arm in arm, prepared to fight the masses. It was amazing what a good pair of heels and a proper dress could do for the self-esteem. Caroline felt like she could take over the world with a wag of her finger. That was good, considering her insides were twisted at the thought of meeting people Mira knew. What if they didn't like her and it became this awkward group conversation that she just could _not_ get out of?

The sounds of pinging jackpots and chatter began to grow louder as they reached the downstairs. Everywhere she looked, tables full of cards, roulette wheels and gamblers stood about. Blues, golds, and browns decorated the massive room, making her mouth open in awe at the sheer majesty of it. Lights twinkled and music swirled through the air. It was so beautiful.

"Come on, I see them," Mira giggled, dragging Caroline over toward the bar.

The girls walked over to a small group consisting of one boy and one girl. The two sitting happened to turn around just as Caroline and Mira walked over. The girl was young, crimson hair falling over eyes as green as a forest. The boy was around the same age, masculine and toned. His deep brown eyes watched them with interest.

"Hey, Mirabel," the man said, his deep voice rumbling as he greeted them. "Who's your friend?"

"Guys, this is Caroline. Caroline, this is Gabriel and Amalia."

"Hi," Amalia smiled, waving like a sweet child.

"Pleasure to meet you," Gabe said, giving her a charming smile. "How long have you been in Vegas?"

"Only a couple days."

"Will you be here long?" Amalia piped in, her voice like a wind chime. Pleasant and relaxing.

"I'm not sure. No longer than a week though."

"Then we'll have to make sure you enjoy every minute," Gabe retorted, waving the bartender over to order two shots of whiskey. Caroline tried hard not to fidget when she remembered it was Klaus' choice of poison.

"What should we show her first?" Mira asked the group.

"How about we play a little dice?" Gabe suggested.

"I'm up for it," Mira grinned, taking her shot and downing it with ease.

Caroline did the same with hers. "What are we waiting for?"

She got the general idea of the game. Caroline might just watch until she fully understood. Honestly, she wasn't even sure she wanted to gamble. It was too much of a risk. She already had plenty of risk to deal with.

The four traversed across the floor, going toward a rather large crowd of people that were surrounding one table. Gabe said something about it being his lucky spot. Caroline forgot how many superstitions people followed in places like this. When Caroline saw the amount of money he placed down, she understood why he did.

"That's a lot of money," Caroline breathed.

"There's more if you need any."

"You'd let me borrow money to gamble with?" Caroline asked in disbelief. Who did that?

"I've got plenty to spare," he smirked, taking the dice in his hand. He let Amalia blow on them before rolling them across the velvety green table. A pair of twos.

"Is it always like this?" Caroline whispered into Mira's ear.

"Gabriel is loaded. So is Amalia. Told you, friends in high places. You just have to know the right people, and the world is yours."

"So you just use their money?"

"Hey, don't make me sound like dick. I have a job. They just help a girl when it's time to go out. They can do extravagant, and I can't. Limits the activities."

"Oh." Caroline bit her lip, looking around. It seemed so surreal. She was hanging with the "it" crowd of a casino. This would either end horribly wrong or terribly right.

Of course, her wandering eyes landed on a particular black jack table not far from her. Sitting directly across from her, in a tuxedo made to fit every muscle, was Klaus Mikaelson. The man looked like James Bond incarnate. Her eyes lit up a little at the sight of him, until abruptly falling when she saw that all around him there were lovely, sophisticated looking women. They all giggled and smiled, touching him affectionately while he held his cards. This was her reward for the lonely nights. Getting to watch women fawn over Klaus while he worked.

He didn't even see her standing there.

"Caroline?" Gabe's voice interrupted her reverie, bringing her back to reality.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you," she said, trying hard to hide the hurt and disappointment.

"I could use some good luck," he smiled, offering his dice to her.

She nodded, gently blowing on his hand as Amalia had done before. He rolled them, watching as they came to a complete halt. A five and a two.

The table cheered and roared in applause. Gabe gave Caroline a strong hug, almost causing her to cough in an attempt to breathe. She patted him on the back until he let her go, laughing and checking over her in apology.

"My turn!" Amalia grinned, taking the dice and offering them to Caroline.

She couldn't contain her smile as she blew yet again. It was cute how she had quickly become such a hit all because of good luck. Amalia threw her dice across the table, the entire crowd watching until they stopped. A four and a three.

"You're on a roll tonight," Mira smiled, nudging Caroline in the arm.

"I'm not doing anything!" She giggled, putting her hands over her mouth.

Her eyes couldn't help wandering back to Klaus' table. It was just as she looked that she saw his eyes lift up, seemingly uninterested in the noise until he saw Caroline's face. His eyes widened in genuine shock, then. It looked as though he were about to stand, until one of the women standing around him put her nasty hands on his shoulders to push him back down. Caroline could feel the anger rising inside her, wanting to breathe fire on that woman for touching him in an attempt at seduction.

"Care to try?" Gabe asked, offering the dice to Caroline.

She took them, turning the cubes over and over in her hand. Gabe leaned in slowly, puckering his lips just slightly so he could blow on them.

"Not that you need it," he whispered.

Caroline was taken aback by the frankness, but also kind of liked it. Ha. Take that, Klaus!

After a deep breath, she rolled the dice. Yet another perfect seven.

The table applauded once more. Mira hugged Caroline from beside her, and she couldn't help feeling a sense of pride swell inside her. This really was fun. Even if Klaus was currently preoccupied with a bevy of beauties that were not her. Most especially the one whose knuckles he was kissing.

"Excuse me," another voice in the crowed boomed, a man emerging through the parting people with a glass of what looked like tea in his hand. "I hear this table is having a lucky streak."

"My brother!" Gabe shouted through the talking, moving to hug the newcomer.

"Good to see you, Gabe." The man stood tall, his hairless head and goatee framing a lean face. A face she had seen before.

"Didn't think you would have time for the little people," Mira commented, watching the man with a sly grin. "Caroline here has brought this table a lot of joy."

"Is that so?" He smiled, eyeing her up and down before waving for the dice from the table attendant. He rubbed the dice between his hands, presenting them to a stunned Caroline. "Care to help a guy out?"

She shook herself back into a semi coherent state, doing as he asked. He rolled the dice, landing on a perfect seven like everyone else had so far. "I guess the hype is all true. A real miracle worker."

"I guess so," Caroline giggled, trying her best for a vapid appearance.

"Maybe you would join me for dinner tomorrow night? Or has my luck run out?"

"You don't know anything about me," she smiled, leaning against the table as she bit her lip. Inside, she felt like she was going to be sick.

"That's usually what the dinner is for," he grinned, a charming smile that would have had women falling at his feet.

Oh god. What did she do, what did she do? Without breaking a sweat, she gave him her most flirtatious grin. "I'd love to."

"Perfect. Tomorrow night at seven?"

"Meet you at the stairs," she replied.

"If you need anything during your stay, just ask for Connor. I'll be sure you get the best help possible," he smiled. She knew what he wanted now. Her name. Seeing as Mira knew him well, she couldn't lie. It would come out eventually, and it would look more suspicious if the names didn't add up.

Managing to keep her cool, she nodded. "Just make sure you come running if Caroline asks."

He laughed, nodding. "I like you."

And with that, he turned on his heel; strutting off to take care of whatever business he had to deal with. This was not good. Oh this was very bad.

"Glad to see you got over the boyfriend you had," Mira chuckled. "You know the owner just asked you out, right?"

"You're friends with him?" Caroline asked incredulously.

"He's the drunk friend I told you about," she whispered conspiratorially.

Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. She gave Mira a grin. "You didn't tell me he owned a casino!"

"I didn't want to brag," she smirked.

"I need to go redo my makeup. I think I just sweat it all off," Caroline giggled, trying to play it off as if she hadn't expected to be flirted with. Mira nodded, pointing her in the proper direction. Caroline wasted no time in getting out of there.

Thankfully, the bathroom was empty when she entered. Her knees were shaking and she felt like the world was spinning. What had she done? She had just agreed to a date with Connor Jordon. On the day Klaus was supposed to kill him! But what was she supposed to do? Say no? What if he had reacted differently? She didn't want trouble; she just wanted to get him out of there. Now she had to see him again though! _Way to go, smart one_ , she thought.

The bathroom door slammed open, causing Caroline to jump. She thought it was a bodyguard of Connor's, coming to collect her after he figured out she was there to assassinate him. Right, he didn't know why she was there. She was just another pretty girl.

She barely had time to process it was Klaus walking toward her before she was wrapped up in his arms, her face buried into his neck.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," she repeated, unsure if it was for her or for Klaus. "I'm fine."

He didn't say anything. He simply put his hand on the back of her head, holding her tighter. If that was possible.

"I'm sorry," she choked out, her throat suddenly dry. "I didn't know what to do, and I panicked. I told him I would see him tomorrow. He wants to have dinner with me and I don't know what to do."

"You're going to be alright. We will figure something out."

Caroline pulled away just enough to look him in the face. Despite Connor being at the forefront of her mind, there were a few other things she had on her chest. Some that were coming to mind now that she could finally look him in the face. "Where have you been? Why is it that I have to see you around flocks of women before I can get you to myself?"

"I was busy, Caroline. I didn't know Connor would ever come in contact with you. I didn't know you would be at the casino tonight."

"Because you're never around," Caroline reprimanded. "And now I have to go on a date with him because I can never make friends without dire consequences occurring!"

"Wait, are you blaming this on _me_?" Klaus' brows furrowed, and he looked at her like she had grown a third arm.

"I'm not blaming this on anyone! I just…I wish you had been there. I wish that through all this chaos we could be us. I don't want to be worrying about my life, or your life, or anyone's life. I don't want to be worrying about some idiotic date I got myself into. I just want to forget for even a moment and we can't because you're always—"

The force of Klaus' lips on hers cut off Caroline.

With much reluctance, she pushed Klaus away gently. They were in a _bathroom_! What if someone walked in on them kissing?! This was still the girls' restroom.

"What are you doing?!"

"Forget with me," he breathed, looking at her like she was the world.

"In the bathroom?" She practically squealed.

He nodded, a sly little grin making his lip quirk up at one end. "With the door unlocked."

Caroline's eyes widened briefly before Klaus was back to assaulting her lips. Something she was all too willing to cooperate with. It was a distraction she needed. One she wanted.

Klaus had her up on the counter, his hand running up her thigh until he was past the hem of her dress. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist in an attempt to grasp something. Anything that let her know this was real. That Klaus was actually about to have sex with her somewhere that didn't involve a comfy bed or their apartment. He wanted to be someplace far more…dirty. She liked it.

This was all she had been wanting, really. Some kind of intimacy with Klaus to reassure her that everything would be fine. Everything was still normal, and this was just another day at the office. However twisted that office may be.

Klaus made his way down her neck, leaving a hot trail of kisses as he went. Caroline moaned in response to his ministrations, entangling her fingers in his soft curls. He was lost in his work, making almost no audible sounds besides a few groans here and there. The cold counter sizzled against her hot skin, a constant reminder that anyone could come in. She managed to look around through her lusty haze and search for a stall that would conceal them, if only for a short amount of time.

"Handicap…Handicap stall," she got out, a breathy gasp escaping as Klaus found her chest.

"A fitting choice," he drawled, scooping her up and walking to where she directed. She giggled in delight at his response.

Caroline felt light in his hands as he locked the stall door behind them, immediately pinning her against the door. The only thing keeping her afloat now was Klaus' body since her feet remained locked around his waist.

Her chest heaved as she attempted to unzip Klaus' pants. It didn't go unnoticed that it was a bit strained against his hard-on. His manhood came free instantly, and she wrapped her fingers around him, working him over. Klaus slapped his hands against the stall, his forehead pressed to the side of her head. He somehow managed to keep her up, and she somehow managed to keep her fingers around his dick.

Moving up and down at a slow speed to begin with, Klaus started his kissing back up, finding her mouth once more. His calloused fingers hiked her dress up a little more, allowing him a better view of her undergarments. It was times like now she wished she had remembered to wear the gift she had gotten them. He pulled her panties down, urging her fingers to quit working him over so that he could move freely.

No sooner than Klaus had gotten himself aligned and inside her, the main door opened. The clack of heels followed. Caroline grinned in an attempt to keep silent, but surely she would notice the two pairs of feet underneath the door. However, another stall door opened, and the girl continued to proceed with business. Thank god that business only consisted of…well…number one.

For a moment she thought the mood would be ruined considering someone was peeing near them and Caroline could barely contain her giggles, but every time she moved around Klaus' hard self, she remembered just how much he could send her spiraling into oblivion. They caught each other's gaze, and despite the sound of a toilet flushing, they continued to smile at each other in their own little world. He moved in and out of her, barely jarring the door into action. It was a couple more minutes before the main door opened, and their visitor left. Afterward, Caroline went between laughing out loud and moaning in pleasure.

Klaus came before her, groaning his climax into her neck as he nipped her skin. Caroline came a couple minutes later while he was still pumping inside her. Stars clouded her vision as they both breathed heavily, relishing their descent back to Earth.

"I didn't want to be close," Klaus blurted out, his breathing still shaky. "That's why I've been distant."

"Shh, not now," she tried, putting a finger over his lips.

"No…you need to know. I thought it would be easier if something went awry. I was wrong, of course. It only hurt both of us more."

Caroline placed a hand on his cheek. "We're in this together."

"I know." He nodded, looking her up and down. "You look stunning, by the way."

She grinned. "As do you, Mr. Mikaelson."

It was silent between them for a moment as while they cleaned up. The silence broke only when Klaus spoke again. "We need to decide how to handle tomorrow. Let's get back to the room."

"You go first, then I'll follow. Cameras and all that," she added. "I need to tell Mira I'm tired or something, too."

"Alright. See you upstairs." Klaus gave her a kiss goodbye before leaving the stall, and eventually the bathroom.

Caroline stood there a while, her mind reeling. There had to be something they could do. This was going to be harder now that she knew people close to him, like Mira and Gabriel. He wasn't just a target, he was their friend and family. He was a well loved human being.

It wasn't such a daunting task anymore now that she knew she had Klaus at her side. They were in this together.

Together…

A sudden idea popped into Caroline's head. She rummaged through her purse, a desperate attempt to find her cell phone. She smiled upon finding it under cases of makeup and breath mints. There was one number she needed to call right now. It might be a long shot, but there was a chance this plan could work. She just needed to get Klaus on board and hope everyone agreed to this.

* * *

"You'll never get to know her if you don't try," Elena persisted.

Elijah wondered why everyone seemed to be so interested in his love life. Katherine most certainly was not. The past couple of days had been torture as he watched her walk into the coffee shop with Bonnie, only to leave shortly after ordering her drink of choice.

"She is not interested and I will not force my presence on her."

Elena took her apron off to fold it up neatly. "Come on, Elijah. Show her not all men are bad."

"By staying here, I am doing exactly that." He turned from his magazine to look at Elena. "Thank you, but this is what's best."

"I'm sure she'll warm up to you eventually," Bonnie added, shrugging. "She isn't completely made of ice."

Slim chance of that. "I doubt she will be fond of me anytime soon."

There was a sudden vibration out of nowhere coming from his pockets. Knowing Katherine didn't have that powerful an effect on him, his hand searched until he found his phone. It was Caroline.

He answered. "Is everything alright?"

" _Everything is fine. Well, not really, but this isn't about Klaus."_

"Tell her I said hi," Elena added, not realizing why Caroline was calling.

"What's wrong?" Elijah asked, quickly informing Elena and Bonnie what the nature of the call was. They leaned in, trying to listen to the conversation.

" _Long story short, I'm meeting Connor for dinner tomorrow night and I need Kol's help."_

So much about that sentence was off. "You want what?"

" _We don't have to tell him Klaus' life story, I just want his help. You could be there, too, I think. I need his computer skills. We need to find ways around the casino for Klaus to get to him while I'm in the same room."_

As if on cue, the shop door opened to reveal a smug Kol strolling in. Elijah tried not to grit his teeth. "I believe this is not the right choice to make. Is Klaus aware of your plan?"

" _Not exactly. I haven't told him yet, but I'm about to. I just need the okay from you."_

"Caroline—"

" _Elijah, this is important. If he's as good with technology as he claims, then we could really use him. Please just think of someway to ask him."_

"Good evening, ladies and Elijah," Kol greeted, taking a seat beside Bonnie. She shifted in her seat only to have Kol cozy up more.

"When do you need this by?" Elijah asked Caroline, not wanting to let anyone know yet as to what was going on.

" _Tomorrow night, eight o'clock. That's when I have dinner with him. I'll call you at four?"_

Elijah thought for a moment. If he were to ask something like this of Kol, he would never hear the end of it. Then again, he didn't seem to have much choice. "I will look into it."

" _Thank you! I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important, I swear. I have to go now, but I'll talk to you tomorrow."_

"I will talk to you then," he said, hanging up the phone after.

All eyes were on him now. They all wanted to know what words had transpired. How was he supposed to go about this?

"So? What did she say?" Elena asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Elijah took a deep breath, turning to Kol. "She asked for you."

Kol's grin turned to sickening glee. "My time has come," he breathed.

Trying hard not to do something ungentlemanly like, Elijah continued, standing up as he did. "It's not what you think."

"Then what is it?" Kol asked, his brows furrowing.

The girls looked up at Elijah quizzically. Elena already knew about their life, but the risk would be letting Bonnie and Kol in. There would be no escaping it, however. He would have to come up with a reason that was universally acceptable. Something that wasn't suspicious, that would warrant asking Kol for help. To take him aside and tell him a harmless story would be strange to the others.

How could he do that? What story could he come up with that would explain needing computer abilities? This would not be easy. He might have to break and tell him as little about this as possible. Force Kol into secret by threats. Either way, he had to think of something. If Caroline needed his skill set, then he had to get it for her. Anything that would get them out of Vegas in one piece.

"We need to have a little chat."


End file.
